Light in my Darkness
by Emconn
Summary: Edmund Pevensie is back in England after their first adventure in Narnia. As they impatiently await their return everything seems bleak for them. However, when he runs into a timid girl she instantly brightens up his life. What happens when she is caught up in their next trip to Narnia? How will she impact the seemingly dark circumstances of their return?
1. Chapter 1

Edmund looked out the window of the train as he and his siblings headed back home to gather their things. The bombing had subsided back home so they were permitted to go back for a little while. After their adventurous summer with Professor Kirk and Narnia, he wasn't sure how he would cope with getting back to 'normal' life. Back to school and books when he had just come from being a king in a land of magical creatures. How was he supposed to accept that? The ride home was silent, each of the siblings dealing with their own thoughts. Their life in Narnia had been everything to them, and now they had to come back to being kids and the dreary life of England. The only upside to all of this was seeing their mother again. Edmund remembered how he had left it when they went into the country. All before he had been through his change in Narnia where he was bitter and mad at everyone. As they pulled into the station near home, they all stood and gathered their belongings. Edmund was the first to walk off the train and he scanned the platform for a familiar face. A small woman with short brown hair called out to him and a smile broke onto his face. Forgetting his siblings behind him he swiftly made his way over to his mother and embraced her in a hug. Over the past few months he had grown and was now past her head.

"Oh my sweet boy, look at you! You've grown!" she exclaimed elatedly, holding Edmund by the shoulders. As the other three approached, Mrs. Pevensie rushed over to greet and fawn over them. The siblings chuckled as they watched her flutter about between the four of them.

"Well now, let's head back to the house and get you all taken care of. I want to hear about everything while I have you all." She eagerly told them, linking arms with Susan as they made their way out of the station.

"Well I'm sure we can sum it up for you well enough." Peter assured, sharing a secretive glance with his siblings. Obviously they couldn't share everything.

...

After a calming week at home the siblings were off to the station yet again. This time heading for the boarding schools out in another side of the country. The leaving experience was about the same as last time, emotional and short. As the four of them walked up to the school Edmund couldn't help but stare up at the drab walls forlornly. Was this what everything had come down to? To be stuck in a place like this, away from the beauty of Narnia? How long were they going to have to wait on Aslan for them to call back? He was ready now.

"Something wrong Ed?" Peter asked, noticing his brother's pained expression. Susan and Lucy glanced over at him curiously from his other side.

"Just, I don't know if I can do all of this again Pete. Not after everything we have been through." Edmund admitted to them. Peter and Susan shared a look. They knew exactly what he was struggling with. It hit the three of them seemingly harder than Lucy. She was the one who had unwavering faith that they would go back soon enough.

"It will be alright Edmund." Lucy comforted, sincerity shining in her eyes. Edmund shook his head in frustration and started walking forward again. He spun around wildly and looked back at the other three who were watching silently.

"No I don't think it will! How can he expect us to just jump right back into things back here! I don't think I can stand it." He argued. The boy went to turn and grab his case that he had dropped but instead he found himself knocked to the ground by some unknown force. As he hit he could hear a feminine 'oof' from beside him. He had run into a girl. Remembering his manners, Edmund frantically sat up and began helping the girl pick up her belongings that had fallen from her satchel.

"Oh I'm so sorry are you…." He trailed off as he looked up into the prettiest grey eyes he had ever laid seen.

"…ok?" he eventually breathed out, startled by the jolt of emotions that rushed through him in seeing her. The girl was just as stunned as she stared back at him, a small blush crossing her pale face.

"Yea, I'm fine. Are you?" she quietly asked, brushing back a strand of her straight copper blonde hair. Edmund took notice that it was more on the red side than blonde, but not fully auburn. It was unique to find someone with that hair color around these parts. Shaking himself of the thoughts running around wildly in his head, Edmund picked up the rest of her book and stood up before offering his hand for her. Blushing slightly again she timidly grasped his hand and stood up.

"Thank you, you didn't have to pick those up." She told him, glancing over at the books in his hands. Edmund furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Huh?" he asked, staring at her slightly shorter form. His heart sped up a beat when she smiled up at him in amusement.

"My books…..that you picked up for me….you know the ones in your hands? Unless you planned on stealing them or something." She joked weakly, letting out a short chuckle at his awestruck expression.

"Oh of course!" he exclaimed in embarrassment, handing over her belongings for her to put back in the satchel. She bit her lip shyly as she watched an embarrassed blush morph over his cheeks, making the freckles that dotted them more prominent. She couldn't deny that this boy was quite handsome, making her even more nervous that she would normally be with strangers.

"You're not from around here are you?" he asked her as an afterthought. The lilt in her voice wasn't quite the British accent he was accustomed to.

"No, I'm actually from Ireland. Moved here a couple years ago." She admitted clasping her hands in front of her.

"I could tell. You have a nice accent though." Edmund assured. He smiled down at her when she blushed again.

"Thanks." She told him, brushing her long bangs away from her face as they had fallen when she ducked her head. The two stood in awkward silence for a few more seconds, fidgeting as they thought of where to go with this conversation.

"I'm Edmund. Edmund Pevensie." He introduced himself, sticking out his hand for her to shake. The beauty smiled back at him.

"Raelyn O'Brien." She took his hand and gave it a shake. A lough cough shook the two of them out of their trance. From just behind them Raelyn noticed three others staring at them with smug expressions. She immediately ducked her head in embarrassment. They had been watching the interaction the whole time. Edmund cleared his throat and gestured to his siblings.

"Raelyn these are my siblings. Peter, Susan and Lucy. Everyone this is Raelyn." He quickly introduced, glaring at Peter's teasing expression. He knew that he wasn't going to hear the end of this. All throughout their golden years he had been at the topic of their jests, as no one had ever caught his eye. And now he was going to be the butt of the jokes once again for the opposite reason. The siblings politely waved and greeted the girl.

"Well it was nice to meet you all but I think I should get going. School and all that you know." She stuttered, starting to backtrack towards the dorms behind her.

"Well seeing as you're new, we can help show you around." Susan offered with a gentle smile. Lucy eagerly nodded in agreement and dashed off to link arms with the girl.

"I would appreciate it very much." She giggled shyly.

"Goodbye Edmund." She called as the three girls began walking away and back towards the St. Finbar dormitories. Edmund waved back dumbly and stood there as they disappeared out of sight. Peter slapped a hand on his younger brother's shoulder with a smug grin.

"I think you'll manage just fine Ed." He quipped knowingly and grabbed Edmund's jacket, leading the way across the street to their own boarding house. He had a strong feeling that they would be seeing quite a lot of Raelyn in the coming months.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Narnia series (books or movies) nor do I own any of the characters other than my OC. This is my second Narnia storyline- look on my page for my Peter Pevensie story "Not a Chance Meeting"**

...

"Edmund, you're going to get us killed!" Raelyn shrieked with a laugh as the two sprinted across the street, dodging taxis as they went. The boy in question turned his head and shot her a roguish grin.

"I just don't want to be late again. I told my siblings that I would meet up with them once I got you." He explained to her as they weaved their way in and out of the crowd in the subway. A year had gone by for the siblings and in that time everyone had changed in some way. Peter had developed a quick temper, acting like he was entitled to everything. Susan had only enhanced her practicality, and she seemed to dismiss the idea of ever going back to Narnia. Lucy had kept her childlike faith in Aslan even though she had grown up quite a lot as a person. Edmund's change however revolved more around the girl that he was currently toting around. After their first meeting, he had sought her out intently, acting on the deep connection that he could feel with her. At first she seemed a bit apprehensive, but Edmund had noticed it was just a part of her timid nature. However, in just a few weeks she finally gave into his charming personality and welcomed his company. Since then the two had practically been inseparable. Edmund brought out the more daring side of her and helped to lessen her lack of self-confidence. Raelyn in return had served as the light in Edmund's seemingly dark world. When she came into the picture he didn't worry about going back as much as he initially thought he would. In fact he even dared to share some stories about Narnia with her, wanting nothing more than to share everything important in his life with the copper haired beauty.

"If I was going to make you late, then you should have gone ahead without me. I would have done just fine all by myself." She told him gently, pulling on his arm to slow him down. Ed shook his head in protest.

"No, you had nothing to do with me being late. I just got a late start this morning, that's all." He assured her, knowing that she disliked being a burden to anyone. What he didn't tell her was that he had spent an extra hour or so making himself up for her. During the time that he had gotten to know her, he couldn't help but become totally infatuated with Raelyn. She was by far the most beautiful and the most genuinely caring person he had ever met and he adored her for it.

"Ok, if you're sure." She conceded, scanning his face warily to make sure he wasn't just lying for her sake. Edmund beamed down at her in response. As the two headed towards the stop where they usually met up, the crowd became increasingly thicker. Edmund took her hand and lead them through the throng of students. In getting closer to the epicenter of the mob they could hear the shouts of encouragement along with the distinctive thuds of a fist fight. Raelyn squeezed his arm timidly and he looked down to give her a comforting glance. They pushed their way to the front and her eyes widened in shock. Peter was in the center of the ring of students, fighting three other boys who clearly had the upper hand. In an instant Edmund let go of her hand and handed her his satchel.

"Ed." She whispered worriedly, latching onto his arm. He grabbed her hand in assurance and gave her a serious look.

"Stay here." He instructed before dashing off to help his brother. As one of the boys was about to hit Peter again, Edmund leaped from the crowd and tackled him to the ground. He and one of the boys continued wrestling while another two dragged Peter over towards the tracks. They shoved him down towards the edge and one pinned him while his buddy began kicking the downed boy. Catching his brother's vulnerable situation, Edmund quickly shoved his attacker off and darted after his brother. Peter shouted in pain as he was struck again but before his attackers could land another blow Edmund tackled the boy to the ground. Again, saving Peter from more nasty blows. Suddenly the sound of whistles could be heard and the crowd rapidly dispersed as the cops came running towards them. The guards quickly broke up the group of brawling boys. Edmund was pried off of the boy who know had a busted lip, while Peter was scolded to 'act his age'. As Peter stormed off, Edmund took a moment to glance around, looking for a familiar red head. However, she was nowhere to be found so he assumed that she was chased off by the cops like everyone else. In all honestly he was relieved that she had distanced herself from the brawl. Knowing that she would return soon with his belongings, he followed his siblings.


	3. Chapter 3

The Pevensie siblings walked over to a nearby bench and set their stuff down. Edmund set what bags he could on the ground, all the while glancing around for his missing companion. With a sigh he plopped down to sit beside his brother, the girls taking up the other half of the bench. He glanced over irritably to see Peter being consoled by Lucy.

"You're welcome." He huffed at his brother. Peter scoffed and looked over at Edmund in annoyance.

"I had it sorted." He countered before standing up from the bench. The other three shared a weary expression.

"What was it this time?" Susan asked tiredly. This was not an uncommon occurrence. Peter whipped around to look at her.

"He bumped me." He answered as if it was obvious.

"So you hit him?" Lucy asked incredulously.

"No, after he bumped me they tried to make me apologize. That's when I hit him." Peter elaborated, as if that made the whole situation better. Which it didn't. His siblings shook their heads.

"Is it that hard to just walk away?" Susan asked sarcastically.

"I shouldn't have to." Peter argued. Edmund rolled his eyes at how haughty his brother was acting right now.

"I mean don't you ever get tired of being treated like a kid?" Peter asked imploringly.

"Um…we are kids." Edmund pointed out in a 'duh' tone.

"Well I wasn't always." Peter countered with a pout. At this all the siblings sighed in understanding. They understood where he was coming from but it still didn't justify his actions.

"It's been a year. How long does he expect us to wait?" Peter asked no one in particular, slumping down to his previous spot on the bench.

"I think it's time to accept that we live here. There's no use pretending any different." Susan told him sternly, her voice softening a bit at the end. Peter looked away with a pout. Just as the siblings fell into thoughtful silence, the sound of someone running could be heard headed their way. Edmund's head perked up and he smiled seeing Raelyn making her way to join them, his satchel in hand.

"There you all are. Sorry I got a bit lost after everyone had dispersed." She quickly told the four of them, walking over to Edmund's side.

"Are you two OK?" she asked the two boys worriedly, scanning them over for any cuts and bruises. Edmund chuckled as he took his belongings from her hands.

"We're fine." Edmund assured her. She instantly looked to Peter, knowing Edmund would lie about stuff like this. Seeing her reaction, Ed whined in protest, making his siblings let out a small chuckle.

"He's telling the truth Ray, we are both fine. Just some wounded pride." Peter assured, using the nickname the siblings had given her. Suddenly Susan's head whipped around to face the group, her eyes widening. She had spotted the boy that tried to make conversation with her, heading in their direction.

"Pretend you're talking to me." She hurriedly told them. They all looked at her in confusion.

"We are talking to you." Edmund pointed out sassily. Raelyn gently smacked his shoulder and send him an unamused look. He merely shrugged.

"OW!" Lucy shouted as she suddenly shot off the bench.

"Quiet Lu." Susan mumbled, thinking her sister's outburst would hinder her chances of staying hidden.

"Something pinched me." Lucy insisted as she pointed to the bench.

"OW stop pulling." Peter shouted at Edmund as he also leapt of the bench. Edmund raised his hands up innocently.

"I'm not touching you." He told his brother in confusion.

"Will all of you just….what is that?!" Susan shouted as she and Edmund shot off the bench, standing next to their siblings. In his alarmed state Edmund latched onto Raelyn's arm, making sure she was out of range for whatever was assaulting them. Just as they took a few steps back they could feel the wind in the station picking up mysteriously. Turning to the train behind them, it seeming to be moving at impossible speeds, making the world start to blur around them.

"What's going on?" Raelyn asked the four of them frantically, pulling herself closer to Edmund. The siblings stared at their surroundings with slightly awestruck expressions. It was obvious to the new girl that they knew what was going on, which made her even more confused.

"It feels like magic." Lucy told them with a grin. Ray shot her an incredulous look.

"Everyone hold hands." Susan ordered as the wind picked up even more. Edmund turned to Raelyn and held a hand out for her. She stared down at it like it would bite her, terrified as to what exactly was happening.

"Ed what's going on?" she asked nervously.

"It'll all be fine, I promise just take my hand." He told her calmly, not wanting to spook the girl. She still was hesitant.

"Ray do you trust me?" Edmund asked her quietly, wanting her to be safe now that she was becoming involved. The only way he could ensure that is if she took his hand. Grey eyes immediately locked onto his.

"Of course I do." She told him seriously. Edmund smiled a bit as his heart warmed to know that she had undying trust in him.

"Then take my hand." He told her softly. Raelyn stared at him for a moment before reaching over and grasping his hand securely. If he promised that everything would be okay, then she believed it. Once Edmund was holding onto her hand tightly, he and Peter glanced at each other, being next to one another.

"I'm not holding your hand." He shouted at Peter incredulously. Peter growled in annoyance and grabbed onto his brother's hand anyway. The five of them stood there and watched as no one else in the tunnel seemed to notice what was going on around them. Raelyn watched with wide eyes as the ceiling tiles began chipping away and the lights started flickering rapidly. They all glanced around as the wind whipped around them and began literally tearing away at the station they were in. Through the windows of the train they could catch glimpses of scenery on the other side of the windows. The newcomer furrowed her brows as she tried to process what was going on. Was that a beach on the other side? As suddenly as it came, the train disappeared and their eyes widened as they found themselves in a brightly lit cave.


	4. Chapter 4

The group slowly dropped hands and walked forward towards the entrance of the cave. In front of them was a beach with crystal clear waters and an array of scenic rock formations jutting out here and there. The Pevensies could recognize a place of this beauty anywhere. They were back in Narnia. Raelyn stood there alongside the others, staring out on the most beautiful landscape she had ever seen in her life. It almost made her forget the craziness of the whole situation. Almost. With a smug grin Lucy took a step forward and looked back at her siblings. Susan shared a growing smile with her sister before the two dashed off towards the water, shouting joyously. Peter chuckled and nudged Edmund backwards before dashing off after their sisters.

"Ed?" a quiet voice caught his attention before he took off too. How could he have forgotten about her; she must be terrified right now. Turning to face his best friend he smiled gently at her.

"Ed, what just happened? I don't understand…..where are we?" The red head timidly asked, looking up at him with wide eyes. Edmund swiftly made his way over and grasped both of her hands in his.

"You know that place I had told you about….where my siblings and I were Kings and Queens?" he asked her delicately. Raelyn nodded her head a little.

"Well, Raelyn O'Brien, welcome to Narnia." Edmund smiled, gesturing towards the stunning beach before them. Raelyn however looked back at him skeptically.

"But I thought it was just a make-believe place that you invented as kids?" She asked him, trying to wrap her head around all of this. Edmund chuckled nervously.

"Sorry, no its real." He assured. Seeing her starting to loosen up, Edmund began leading her out into the sunshine.

"Come on, I promise everything will be fine. You'll love it here." Raelyn smiled a bit as he eagerly led her towards the water. Everything around her was real; how could she blatantly deny what was right in front of her. Slowly an excited smile broke out onto her face as she looked around at the beach and the beautiful waters. Edmund rose a brow teasingly, he had her now. With a laugh the two dashed off into the direction of the others. As they went, they removed the more restricting parts of their uniforms, like the others had done, before running full speed into the water. As Edmund joined his siblings, Peter began splashing him with the seawater. Raelyn held back near the edges with Susan and Lucy as they soaked in the sunshine. Wiping some water from his eyes, Edmund spotted Raelyn standing on the edge with her face looking up towards the sun. A devious smile broke out on his face. He slowly reached down, only to swiftly bring it back up, sending a wave of water towards her. Raelyn squealed in surprise as her tranquility was broken by cold water. Her eyes immediately zeroed in Edmund who was struggling to contain his laughter at her reaction. She smiled brightly before rushing in after him, rapidly splashing him as she did. Edmund shrieked jokingly before taking off away from her. The other three Pevensies joined in the chase, ganging up on their youngest brother. After a few more minutes of water wars, something on the hillside caught Raelyn's eye and she stopped to stare up at it curiously. Edmund walked over, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"What are you looking at?" He asked, huffing a little from all the exercise he had been doing. He turned his head to follow her gaze and no longer needed an answer. Nearby his siblings played around for a few moments longer, before they noticed the sudden silence from the other two. Looking over they spotted the teens staring up at the cliffs above them.

"Ed?" Susan asked, her smile fading in confusion. Peter frowned at his brother's silence.

"What is it?" he asked, curious as to what could have caught their attention. Edmund glanced over at him before looking back at the overgrown cliffs.

"Where do you suppose we are?" he asked no one in particular. Peter looked at him curiously. Surely he had figured it out by now.

"Well where do you think?" Peter pointed out sarcastically, gesturing around them.

"Well, I don't remember any ruins in Narnia." Edmund pointed out, still staring up. Peter scrunched his face and followed his brother's line of sight. The rest of them dropped into silence as they realized that he was right. Up on the cliffs above, there were ruins scattered throughout the vegetation. It looked like the place had been abandoned for years. That was certainly different from the last time they were in Narnia.


	5. Chapter 5

After a trek up to the ruins above them, the siblings looked over the unfamiliar terrain. They each split off into different directions in order to investigate further. Raelyn followed after Edmund, being the only one who had definitely never been there before. He walked over towards a larger clearing, grasping the satchel across his shoulder as they came across a broken staircase. The redhead peered curiously at the beautiful carvings that lined the smooth surfaces of what had once been a grand staircase. Looking around she could speculate as to what this had once been. Perhaps a ballroom? Or a grand hall? Feeling adventurous she scurried up what was left of the stairs to stand at the cutoff.

"Be careful up there." Edmund warned, watching her scale the crumbling marble.

"Ed come up! Its stunning up here." She coaxed excitedly. Unable to deny her wishes he carefully went up to stand next to her. He couldn't help but stare at the breathtaking view in front of him. From their vantage point they could see the ruins scattered about behind them but in front was a seemingly unending view of the clear ocean they had just been splashing around in. As he stared out across the see he couldn't help but get a familiar feeling from it. Almost like he had seen this view before.

"What's wrong?" a small voice asked from beside him. Edmund shook off the feeling and looked down to see her staring worriedly up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Nothing, lets head back down to look around some more." He suggested, leading the way. Raelyn watched him curiously but decided not to press. As they reached the last step she caught her foot on a piece of raised marble. Raelyn let out a small shriek of surprise as she felt herself falling forward. Edmund spun around in alarm only to be knocked backward onto the ground. He sputtered out a low groan as the impact had winded him. Lifting his head, his eyes widened minutely when he realized how close Raelyn's face now was. If he lifted his chin up they would be lip locked. It took her a moment longer to realize their situation but when she did the girl instantly rolled off of Edmund, her cheeks flaming almost as brightly as her hair.

"Are you ok?" Edmund asked seriously, reaching out to her in concern. She ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Yes, I just snagged my foot. Sorry for dragging you down with me." She muttered, glancing over at him as the burning in her face died down. Edmund shot her a crooked grin.

"Don't worry about it. I was glad to be your cushion." He joked in return. Raelyn giggled at his expression, causing Edmund to chuckle in return as his goal was accomplished. Soon enough the uncomfortable moment was forgotten. Edmund dragged himself off the ground before hoisting her up and continuing with their exploration.

The duo made their way back towards the center of the ruins in hope to meet back up with the rest of the Pevensies. As they rounded the corner they could hear part of Lucy and Susan's conversation.

"I wonder who lived here?" Lucy mused as she walked back from the balcony she had been standing on. Susan glanced around before her gaze caught something hiding in the grass. She bent down and picked up a golden figurine of a centaur.

"I think we did." She answered while gazing at the figurine. Lucy scrunched up her face in confusion and walked over to get a better look at the object in her sisters hand. At this moment Edmund, Raelyn, and Peter walked around a corner to join them. As they approached Edmund's eye lit up in recognition at what Susan was holding.

"Hey that's mine. From my chess set." He told them.

"Which chess set?" Peter questioned. Edmund shot him a sarcastic look but it was Raelyn who answered.

"Last time I checked, he didn't have a solid gold chess set in Finchley." She returned, staring down at the centaur that was now in Edmund's hands. Edmund snorted out a laugh but Peter shot her an unamused glare. During the interaction Lucy scanned back over the ruins around them and suddenly it clicked.

"It can't be." She muttered before rushing over to the nearby pillars. The rest of them quickly followed after her.

"Don't you see?" Lucy asked as she pointed to what was left of the room around them.

"What?" Peter asked, still not understanding. Lucy took his hand and placed him in front of the central pillar.

"Imagine walls." She began while placing the rest of her siblings in a specific order. Raelyn watched with intense curiosity, hanging on Lucy's description.

"…..and columns there. And a glass roof." Lucy added, taking her place next to them. The siblings stared out before them, letting their minds add in the details that Lucy was giving them. Finally their eyes widened as they finally realized why this place felt so eerily familiar.

"Cair Paravel." Peter muttered, giving the place a name. Raelyn recognized the name of the castle that the siblings had lived in for their Narnian lives. As she glanced around, trying to imagine how grand it must have been, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened. This once magnificent castle was nothing more than rubble.


	6. Chapter 6

Raelyn and the siblings had wandered around the area, which they had learned was now an island. From what Edmund had told her a lot of this landscape wasn't here before. She was no expert but she couldn't help but wonder how long they had been gone in this world, because islands didn't just form overnight. She trailed behind Edmund who led the way along the edges of the cliff-side, looking for anything else that may have lasted the years. He paused to kneel down next to a large boulder that was out of place among the marble ruins.

"That looks like something from a catapult." Raelyn mused, as she stood next to him.

"What?" Peter asked as he watched the two of them peer at the boulder. Edmund glanced back at his siblings with a downtrodden expression.

"This didn't just happen. Cair Paravel was attacked." He explained. Raelyn remained silent and glanced around at the faces around her. It was obvious that guilt was beginning to set in. She couldn't imagine how it must have felt leaving behind a kingdom and learning that it was attacked when they were gone. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a wall with a panel on it. Curious as to where it led she walked over towards it, grabbing the attention of the siblings. Peter squinted at the wall and a glimmer of recognition was seen in his eyes. Edmund stood and glanced over at her before following after his brother. After scanning over the wall the two boys tore away at the branches and vines covering the panel. Raelyn watched with intrigue as they continued by pushing the panel to the side, only proving that they had lived here before. Behind the panel was a rotting wooden door. With it being worn down by time it only took Peter a couple hard shoves with his shoulder to put a hole in it, so he could reach the handle on the other side. The group looked down the dark stairwell once the door had been opened up.

Peter sighed and reached down and began tearing off the bottom of his uniform shirt. Raelyn watched him in confusion. She turned to look at Edmund who merely shrugged in response. He didn't really know what he was doing either. They all watched in silence as Peter wrapped the fabric around a branch before looking over at Edmund expectantly.

"I don't suppose you have any matches do you?" he asked, gesturing to the satchel that Edmund had been carrying around. Edmund hid a smirk as he opened it up.

"Well no but…" he reached in and pulled out a torch (flashlight).

"….would this help?" he asked innocently. Peter shot him an exasperated look and Raelyn let out a giggle as he did.

"You might have mentioned that a bit sooner." Peter scolded playfully. Susan and Lucy joined in on the laughter. Raelyn smiled fondly at Edmund who just shrugged grinning childishly. He took Raelyn by the hand and let the way down the stairs, with the light of his torch penetrating through the darkness.

"You should have said something a bit sooner Ed." She chuckled, walking a bit closer to him so as not to lose her footing in the dark.

"Probably, but this was more fun." He countered, shooting her a glance.

...

They slowly walked down the stairs, following behind the light that Edmund's torch was giving off. Soon enough they made their way down to a giant room that seemed untouched, other than the collection of dust everywhere. Raelyn was awestruck by the antique beauty of it all. On the ground floor there were chests lined up with statues of them in their golden days behind each one. Lucy stood beside the redhead and smiled. The two girls glanced at one another before rushing down after the rest of the group who had already made their way down the spiral staircase. At the bottom was a metal gate that was unlocked. Edmund gently pushed the gate open and smiled, alongside the rest of his siblings as they took it all in.

"Wow, it's so untouched." Raelyn mused as she ran her hand along the marble walls of the room. She trailed behind as each of the siblings rushed towards their designated chest. Suddenly feeling very out of place, she shuffled off and stood beside Edmund who was digging through his treasures that were left in the chest. Silently Raelyn glanced up at the statue in the small alcove above the chest. She smiled at the likeness it had to the boy beside her, give or take a few years.

"Is this you?" Edmund's head snapped up, as if brought out of deep thought. He looked over at where the voice had come from before looking over at his likeness, that was looking down at him. He smiled crookedly as he stared up at it.

"Yea, from a long time ago." He murmured.

"You were quite handsome back then." She added thoughfully, tilting her head as she continued to look at it.

"Back then?" Edmund scoffed teasingly. The girl's cheeks heated up as she realized what she had just said.

"I…I..mean yes I guess back then...Not saying that you aren't good looking now…..I mean….." Edmund smiled fondly at her as he watched her fumble over her words, her cheeks continuing to darken under his gaze. He would be lying if he said his heart didn't skip and extra beat at hearing her compliment him. Did she really find him attractive?

"Don't worry about it. I know what you meant." He assured, saving her from further embarrassment.

"I was so tall." Lucy commented from beside them as she pulled out one of her old dressed. They all turned to look at her.

"You were older then." Susan told her with a smile. Lucy grinned at the joke and put the dress back.

"As opposed to hundreds of years later, when you're younger." Edmund chimed in, putting on a helmet the was now, way too big for his head. Raelyn giggled at the sight.

"Wow, and here I thought your head couldn't get any bigger." She taunted. Edmund started in offense as the rest of the sibling laughed at his expense.

"Susan what is it?" Lucy asked, breaking them out of their chuckles as they watched Susan rummage through her chest with a frown.

"My horn, I must have left it on my saddle the day we went back." She explained, trailing off sadly. At the mention of their leaving the room quickly fell silent. No one spoke as their eyes found Peter who had finally opened his chest and pulled out his sword, unsheathing it swiftly. Raelyn watched him curiously and tried to get a better look at the inscription that seemed to run along its edges. This must have been the sword Father Christmas had gifted him with the first time they were here. She remembered Edmund describing it in great detail.

"When Aslan bares his teeth, then winter meets its death…." Peter read off, staring longingly at the words.

"When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again." Raelyn finished thoughtfully. The others looked over at her curiously. Realizing that she head said it aloud, the girl quickly ducked her head in embarrassment at having all eyes on her.

"Sorry…I guess the words just stuck for me." She murmured in explanation. Edmund couldn't help but smile at her fondly. She always did have a love for literature so it didn't surprise him that she had easily memorized the poem like inscription he had once relayed to her.

"Everyone we knew, Mr. Tumnus, and the Beavers….they're all gone." Lucy pointed out, her voice shaking with emotion. The room became silent once more as different emotion flitted across each of the siblings faces. Everything they had once known was gone, it was like they were starting from scratch again. Raelyn looked over and saw the pained expression on Edmund's face. Instinctively she reached over and grasped his hand in comfort, making sure he knew that he wasn't fully alone. As he felt the contact, Edmund locked eyes with her and smiled briefly. She frowned when noticing that it didn't quite reach his eyes like it usually did.

"I think it's time we found out what's going on." Peter announced, putting up a brave façade. Without another word he reached in and began gathering some clothes from the chest before walking off.

"Ray if you'd like you can borrow one of our dresses. I'm sure we can find something to fit you." Lucy offered, realizing that she was still the odd man out.

"Are you sure. I wouldn't want to impose and I know that the old Narnian stuff is important to you." She quickly protested. She didn't feel that it would be right for her to wear any of their royal clothing. It wasn't like she even belonged in Narnia in the first place. Susan smiled gently at her, understanding her hesitance.

"Really we don't mind, it's just clothing. Personally I find some of them more comfortable than these uniforms." She pointed out, watching the red head's reaction. Raelyn's eyes quickly flitted towards the chests filled with beautiful dresses and her eyes widened in interest.

"Well I guess it couldn't hurt…." Raelyn trailed off thoughtfully, looking up to smile at the sisters.

"Well I guess I'll leave you in their care for now." Edmund chimed in, grinning casually as he watched the interaction. The three of them snickered, knowing that the newcomer was going to enjoy it no matter how much she originally protested.

"Try to find something in blue. It looks good on her." he threw out casually before turning away so they couldn't see his blush. What had possessed him to say that?! The sisters watched their youngest brother quickly make an exit, leaving his friend with a deep blush on her face. They shared a knowing look but didn't comment.

"Well let's get started, shall we?" Susan suggested, gesturing to the clothes before them. Raelyn grinned, walking over to find something for her to wear.


	7. Chapter 7

Down in the river two Telmarine guards were rowing a boat. One was watching the scenery for any threats while the other kept glancing down at the prisoner below them.

"He won't stop staring." The man told his companion nervously. The other man rolled his eyes.

"So don't look."' He answered with a 'duh' tone. However, the man looked back down at the dwarf who was glaring at him. He whipped his eyes back up and continued rowing with a nervous expression. Finally, he was done with all the glaring and stopped rowing.

"Here's far enough." He informed his companion and stood up. The dwarf's eyes widened in alarm as the two men leaned down to pick him up out of the boat and throw him overboard. Suddenly they froze as an arrow lodged itself into the side of the boat.

...

Up on the bank of the river, Susan reached back to retrieve another arrow. The four others raced up to stand behind her. Edmund and Peter drew their swords, standing slightly in front of Raelyn and Lucy just in case things went bad.

"Drop him." Susan ordered, pointing her arrow at the Telmarines threateningly. The dwarf's eyes furrowed and me mumbled out something unintelligible since he was gagged. Raelyn's eyes widened as she realized Susan's choice of words.

"Um Susan, I would rephrase that." She warned quietly. Just as she was afraid of, the men looked to one another before dropping him….into the river bound and gagged. The two boys immediately dropped their swords and dashed towards the water. As they did, one of the soldiers picked up a crossbow and aimed their direction but Susan was quicker. She instantly loosed her arrow, hitting one of the in the shoulder, causing him to fall over the edge of their boat. The remaining man jumped in after him to avoid further conflict. Seeing that they were in the clear, Raelyn walked forward to collect the weapons in the sand while the boys were busy. As Edmund had swum over to collect the boat and bring it to shore, Peter dragged the half drowned dwarf up onto the bank. The siblings gathered around the man and Lucy took out her dagger to cut the man free. Raelyn, having this been the first encounter of a mythical creature hung back, just observing the small man. Once his hands and feet were free, he rolled onto his side and took out the gag, sputtering out water. They all straightened up and patiently waited for the man to compose himself. Raelyn dutifully walked over and handed Edmund back his sword. He took it with a grin and playfully shook out his shaggy hair in her general direction, spraying her with water. She giggled silently and shoved him aside, the grins never leaving their faces. They quieted down as the dwarf finally stood up, shooting a glare at Susan.

"Drop him?!" he shouted incredulously. The group shared a confused look.

"That's the best you could come up with?" he continued with a growl.

"A simple thank you would suffice. No need to be rude." Raelyn piped up in Susan's defense. The man shot her a heated glare, causing the girl to shy away behind Edmund.

"They were doing just fine drowning me without your help." He argued.

"Maybe we should have let them." Peter commented, looking down at the dwarf in shock.

"Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy gently asked, alleviating the tension between them. The dwarf gave her a look before answering.

"They're Telmarines. It's what they do." He told them in resignation. The siblings looked to one another in confusion.

"Telmarines in Narnia?" Edmund asked. The dwarf shot him a curious look.

"Where have you been the past few hundred years?" he drawled out.

"It's a bit of a long story." Lucy admitted with a grin. The teenagers chuckled in amusement. Peter smiled thankfully down at Raelyn as she walked over to hand him his sword. The dwarf stared at the weapon as it changed hands and his expression dropped in recognition. He stared at the trademark lion on the hilt of the sword before looking up at Peter in shock. Then looked around at the rest of them, recognizing all but one.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me….." he groaned. The humans looked around in confusion at his disappointment.

"You're it? You're the kings and queens of old?" the dwarf asked them seriously. Peter straightened up at the familiar title and stuck his hand out.

"High King Peter….the Magnificent." He introduced himself. The smaller man rose a brow.

"You probably could have left off that last bit." Raelyn giggled, coming to stand beside Edmund, who shared a grin with her. The dwarf laughed aloud at her remark.

"Probably." He muttered in agreement. Raelyn smiled down at him warmly.

"You might be surprised." Peter cut in, drawing his sword.

"Oh you don't want to do that boy." The dwarf warned.

"Not me….him." Peter clarified, gesturing towards Edmund who was surprised. He shot a wink over at Raelyn before drawing his sword for a duel while Peter handed the dwarf his own weapon. Edmund was eager to show the redhead what he could do. The dwarf appeared a bit flustered and hesitantly took the sword offered him. Edmund smirked at the girls when the man's arm dropped at the sudden weight of the sword in his hand. As he was momentarily distracted, the dwarf lifted up the sword skillfully and swung at the boy, catching him off guard. Nevertheless Edmund easily countered the attack and ducked as the swords was aimed at his head. Using his new height to his advantage, the dwarf elbowed Edmund in the nose.

"Edmund!" Raelyn shouted out in alarm but was held back by Peter who was watching the match intently. Edmund grabbed his nose in pain and glared at the dwarf.

"Oh are you alright?" the man asked sarcastically before swinging at him once again. This time Edmund dodged and maneuvered himself behind the dwarf. He swiftly smacked the dwarf's backside with the flat edge of the sword, causing the group to giggle. The man glared at the dark haired boy and whipped around to face him. He growled before lunging again which Edmund parried before taking his own swing at the man's head. The dwarf ducked and swung low. Edmund easily lept over the sword before deflecting another hit. The two competitors parried viscously back and forth until finally Edmund skillfully knocked Peter's sword away from the man, pointing his own at the dwarf's nose. The man stared up at the boy in shock, his eyes wide and mouth open as he fell backwards into the sand.

"Beards and Beadsteads….maybe that horn worked after all." He muttered while looking at the group.

"What horn?" Lucy asked him curiously.


	8. Chapter 8

The group piled into their newly acquired boat and were making their way down the river. Peter sat in the center rowing while the rest were spread out along the other seats. Raelyn and Edmund took their spots in the front, while the girls sat behind Peter. Trumpkin sat just in front of Raelyn. During the first part of the trip he had been bombarded with questions from the redheaded girl, much to his dismay and the amusement of the others. Once she was satisfied with his answers she turned to watch the timeless beauty of the nature around them, creating a silence as her chatter ended. Edmund smiled as he watched the girl beside him eagerly lean forward and analyze the sights around them with childlike interest. Now that she had gotten over the initial shock of being in Narnia she had taken to learning about anything and everything she could about it. With a smile, she reached down to play with the crystal blue waters beneath them as they floated down through the canyon. However, they seemed to be the only ones with the positive outlook as the solemn expressions adorned the other passengers faces and Edmund's smile was only due to her actions.

"They're so still." Lucy noted aloud as they passed a cluster of trees. Trumpkin looked at the girl across from him skeptically before glancing up at the trees too.

"They're trees, what did you expect?" he dryly asked. Raelyn's interested was peaked and she turned to listen.

"They used to dance." Lucy explained. The siblings glanced at one another sadly, remembering the trees as Lucy did.

"What happened?" Raelyn asked, looking to the dwarf curiously. Trumpkin sighed.

"It wasn't long after you left that the Telmarines invaded." He began. Peter paused his movements so he could listen intently to the explanation.

"Those who survived retreated into the woods. The trees, they retreated so deep into themselves that they haven't been heard from since." He told the humans.

"I don't understand. How could Aslan have let this happen?" Lucy mused sadly.

"Aslan? I thought he abandoned us when you lot did." Trumpkin countered bitterly. All five of the royals turned to look at him with sorrowful expressions. The dwarf simply turned away, the betrayal evident on his face.

"You can't classify it as abandonment if it was unintentional." Raelyn pointed out in their defense, not liking the dreary mood that Trumpkin was advocating. He turned to look at her thoughtfully.

"It makes no difference now does it?" the dwarf pointed out. At this Raelyn backed down. She couldn't argue with that.

"Get us to the Narnians, and it will." Peter told him before picking up the oars once more. Something in the stern tone of his voice caught Raelyn's attention and she looked over at him curiously. When his stony expression didn't fade she turned to look at Ed for explanation. The boy just shook his head, understanding her question. Peter had been like this for a while so he had expected this attitude. She sighed and returned to gazing at the water. The rest of the trip continued in silence as the royals were lost in their memories of the past.

...

Eventually they made it to a river bank that Trumpkin had directed them to. He hopped out first to tied down the boat down while the rest piled out to make it easier to move. The older teens helped to pull the boat firmly onto shore. While pulling Raelyn slipped a bit, not used to maneuvering in such a long dress. Edmund chuckled from behind her.

"We already took a swim Ray." He teased, smiling at her reddening face.

"Shut up Ed." She countered before getting back to the task at hand. While they were busy Lucy had wandered off down the bank a little ways, coming across a bear scavenging a few yards away from them.

"Hello there." She greeted with a smile and continued walking towards the animal. Her voice caught the attention of the others that had finally gotten the boat to shore. The bear looked up at the approaching girl and grunted before raising up on its hind legs. Lucy remained unfazed.

"It's alright we're friends." She assured. Raelyn wasn't convinced as she watched the tense reactions of the animal. After what Trumpkin had told them, it didn't sound like all animals were what they once had been.

"Ed I think something is wrong." She quickly warned, gesturing towards his sister behind them. Trumpkin heard their discussion and turned to look.

"Don't move your majesty!" he urgently told the girl, setting the others on high alert. Lucy turned to look at them in confusion. As she did the bear began to charge.

"Lucy!" Raelyn called out in warning and instinctively ran forward, only to be stopped by Edmund. Lucy whipped around and saw the approaching animal, causing her to break into a run back towards them. Despite Raelyn's protests, Edmund quickly ushered her back towards the boat where their weapons were, not wanting her to get hurt as she was unarmed. Being the only one with weapons in hand, Susan took a few steps towards the beast, her bow raised threateningly.

"Stay away from her!" she shouted in warning as the boys lunged for their swords. Susan's threats did nothing to stop the chase.

"Stay here." Edmund instructed Raelyn as he and Peter raced towards their younger sister. As she stood there Raelyn watched as the bear gained on the youngest Pevensie. She knew the boys wouldn't reach her in time.

"Susan shoot!" she shouted in alarm, helplessly watching the scene play out before her. But Susan stood frozen. Suddenly Lucy tripped and started scrambling backwards as the bear continued towards her. Raelyn screamed as the bear reared up above the girl, only to be pierced in the chest by an arrow; knocking the bear over to the side unmoving. Raelyn glanced to the side in shock, but saw that Susan wasn't the one to shoot the animal. It was Trumpkin who had made the shot.

"Why didn't he stop?" Susan asked, still staring at the scene in shock.

"I suspect he was hungry." Trumpkin deadpanned, making his way over to the bear. Raelyn quickly followed, making her way over to the group, leaving Susan behind to think about things. Had Trumpkin not been there, Lucy would be dead. Peter and Edmund reached Lucy first, and Peter quickly wrapped her up into his arms before pointing his sword warily at the animal on the ground. Raelyn latched onto Edmund from behind, peering around at the bear in front of them. Edmund lifted his arm and reached around so he could hold her to his side, his own sword raised just in case. Trumpkin calmly made his was towards the body and prodded the bear, making sure it was dead.

"Thanks" Lucy muttered. Trumpkin glanced back at her but said nothing.

"He was wild." Raelyn realized, looking up at the group in confusion.

"I don't think he could talk at all." Peter agreed, comforting his little sister.

"You get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that's what you become." Trumpkin pointed out before kneeling and pulling out his knife, to silence the bear for good.

"You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." He informed them. Raelyn winced and buried her face into Edmund's shoulder as the dwarf slit the animal's throat.


	9. Chapter 9

Deep in the woods the group was slowly making their way through the rocky terrain, following behind Peter who had taken the lead.

"I don't remember this way." Susan spoke up as they rounded a corner.

"That's what's wrong with girls, they can't carry a map around in their heads." Peter quipped with a smug grin and continued on.

"That's because our heads have something in them." Lucy countered teasingly from the middle of the group. Raelyn and Edmund snickered from behind her.

"I wish he'd just listened to the DLF in the first place." Raelyn muttered to the others under her breath.

"DLF?" Edmund questioned from beside her. Susan and Lucy looked back at them.

"Dear Little Friend." Lucy answered, sharing a grin with her sister. The three in the back paused.

"Oh that's not at all patronizing is it?" Trumpkin sarcastically muttered, sending the redheaded girl a look.

"Don't look at me! I didn't come up with it." She defended with an amused grin. The dwarf rolled his eyes before following behind the group, ignoring the snickering teens behind him. After a few more minutes of walking they came to a dead end. Peter glared up at the rock wall in front of him as the others filed in after, taking a moment to rest.

"How's that map working out for ya Peter?" Raelyn pointed out dryly.

"I'm not lost." He countered stubbornly.

"No, you're just going the wrong way." Trumpkin chimed in. Peter whipped around to face the dwarf.

"You last saw Caspian in the Shuttering Woods. The quickest way there is over the River Rush." Peter pointed out harshly. Trumpkin glanced around in boredom.

"Then unless I'm mistaken, there's not crossing in these parts." He calmly countered.

"That explains it them. You're mistaken." Peter quipped with a glare.

"Not to complain but shouldn't we listen to the one who's actually been around recently." Raelyn pointed out. Peter turned to glare at the girl who glanced away. Edmund maneuvered his way in front of her defensively, leveling a glare at his brother in her defense. Peter huffed and stormed off in the direction they had just come from. Edmund sighed and turned back to Raelyn and shrugged apologetically. She smiled and stood up to follow after Peter, the others close behind. The path they had now gone down ended with another dead end. This time it was due to a giant gorge, with a river rushing below. Peter stared at it in irritation.

"You see over time the water erodes the earth's soil and when…" Susan started her explanation but was quickly cut off.

"Oh shut up." Peter snapped, clearly upset by his lack of direction.

"Is there a way down." Lucy asked, turning towards the dwarf.

"Yea…..falling." Raelyn muttered, peering over the edge. Edmund hid his grin. Peter huffed and turned to face the group.

"Well we weren't lost." He quickly defended.

"There's a fjord near Berona. How do you feel about swimming?" Trumpkin suggested, already taking the lead.

"It's a lot better than walking." Susan quipped, sending Peter a pointed look as she followed the dwarf. Peter sighed and reluctantly followed too.

"Alsan?" Lucy questioned, making the group falter and turn back to look.

"It's Aslan, look he's right over….." Lucy excitedly pointed, however when she turned back to look across the gorge, the lion had disappeared. Raelyn glanced around the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of the lion she had heard so much about.

"Do you see him now?" Trumpkin asked her sarcastically. Raelyn shot him a glare, causing him to glance away almost sheepishly.

"I'm not crazy. He was there, he wanted us to follow him." Lucy insisted, looking around for support from the others. Susan and Peter shared a skeptical look.

"I'm sure there's any number of lions in this wood. Just like that bear." Peter gently told her.

"I'd think I'd know Aslan when I saw him." Lucy spat back defensively. Edmund and Raelyn remained silent, watching the siblings warily.

"Look, I'm not about to jump off a cliff after someone who doesn't exist." Trumpkin told the girl.

"Well last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid." Edmund chimed in, coming to her defense. He felt a smaller hand intertwine with his comfortingly. Looking down he recognized it and smiled over at Raelyn thankfully. Peter however was not so convinced.

"Why wouldn't I have seen him?" he questioned.

"Maybe you weren't looking?" Raelyn pointed out. Peter glanced over at her thoughtfully but shook his head.

"Sorry Lu." He apologized before walking off after Trumpkin. Lucy glanced back across the gap, holding back the hurt.

"Come on Lucy." Raelyn coaxed, linking arms with the younger girl. Edmund smiled fondly, his feelings for the girl growing even more as he saw that she believed his sister; and she hadn't even seen Aslan before.

...

As they neared the river of Berona the group began to hear the sounds of shouting and people working. On instinct the royals and Trumpkin ducked down, knowing that something wasn't right. However, Raelyn wasn't as accustomed to this lifestyle just yet. Edmund chuckled and rolled his eyes as he reached over to gently push her head down. Raelyn blushed and got the hint to lower herself not to be seen. He kept a hand on her back as they followed after the others towards a large pileup of logs. Once all of them were hidden Peter cautiously peeked his head over the top of the pile to see what's going on. Seeing that he was still watching, Raelyn eagerly popped her head over to scan what was going on. Peter glanced at her and rolled his eyes fondly, letting a smile slip onto his face. The girl was too curious for her own good once she got out of her shell. The rest followed shortly after and their eyes widened to see men chopping down the trees and using them to make what looked like a bridge going across the river. The sounds of horses caused them to quickly duck down. Raelyn slipped as she did but was quickly caught by Edmund and he smiled cheekily at her. She grinned back sheepishly, red covering her cheeks as she became aware of their close proximity. Edmund acted as if he wasn't effected as he waited for the horses to pass them before moving. Peter craned his neck to get a better view of the men who had just arrived, zeroing in on the one atop the white horse.

After a few minutes of watching the group decided that this wasn't the way to go after all and filed out to head back the way they came. Soon enough they ended up back at the gorge.

"So where exactly did you think you say Aslan?" Peter sheepishly asked his youngest sister. Lucy whipped around to glare at him.

"I wish you'd all stop trying to sound like grownups." She scolded, glancing across the group.

"I didn't think I saw him, I did see him." Lucy added sternly and walked over towards the bank where she saw the lion.

"I am a grownup." Trumpkin muttered under his breath.

"He was right over…." Lucy began but was cut off when the ground gave out from under her. Raelyn jumped forward to try and catch her but instead got pulled along with her. The group let out shouts of alarm as the two girls disappeared. Edmund raced over and leaned down over the hole, his heart leaping into his throat at the thought of the two girls tumbling down the slope. However he let out a sigh of relief when he saw them perched on a small ledge just below where they were standing.

"Here." Lucy finished with a small smile up at the group. As it turned out, there was a narrow pathway leading them down towards the bottom of the gorge safely. Once the two girls stood up, the group followed after, and started to make their way down the path. As Edmund hopped down he quickly brought Raelyn into a hug, surprising her for a moment before she returned it.

"Could you not do that again?" he asked her playfully, pulling back to make sure she was fully unharmed. Raelyn shrugged and grinned up at him.

"It comes with hanging around a walking hazard like you." She quipped. Ed huffed in mock offense before grabbing her hand and pulling the snickering girl behind him. She blushed again as she looked down at their interlocked hands, liking the feeling of his larger one encasing her own.


	10. Chapter 10

Eventually after crossing the gorge, and wandering through the woods for a while the group decided to settle down for the night, before it got dark. Upon picking a clearing the group decided to split up to take care of different tasks such as fire and food. Edmund immediately grabbed Raelyn's hand, not wanting her to wander off anywhere on her own. As they trekked through the woods Raelyn glanced down at the sword attached to Edmund's hip.

"Teach me how to sword fight." She suddenly asked, causing Ed to stumble over a root. Raelyn gasped and attempted to cover up her laugh as she stared down at his sprawled out form. He looked up at her incredulously.

"What?" he asked, grabbing the hand that was offered to him. Seeing his intense gaze she suddenly grew shy and fiddled with her fingers.

"Well I just figured that it would be a good thing to learn, seeing as I'm the only one who can't defend myself." She murmured, glancing up at him from beneath her lashes. Edmund stared into her grey eyes curiously.

"You don't have to worry about defending yourself Ray. You have me." He told her seriously. Raelyn blushed again at his choice of words, noticing that he didn't say 'us'.

"I know Ed but Susan and Lucy have their own weapons. And I'm new to all of this, but I would like to try and fit in with the whole Narnian thing." She told him eagerly. Edmund couldn't help but grin fondly at her pleading expression.

"Well I don't know. I don't want you to hurt yourself." He pointed out, not sure how he felt about her messing with weapons. Raelyn pouted her lips, looking up at him. Edmund groaned, knowing she was pulling out all the stops now. He wouldn't last much longer with that face.

"But what happens if you get hurt and I'm the only one there. I know this world is all knights and castle type vibe but I don't want to be the damsel in distress. I want to help you all." She pleaded sincerely. Edmund ran a hand down his face, peeking at her between his fingers. He had always loved that about her. She wanted to learn and she wanted to help others. It was endearing and he couldn't fault her for it. That and she did bring up a good point about if he wasn't able to defend her. Edmund sighed heavily.

"Fine. Once we find the Narnians I'll start teaching you the basics." He finally agreed. Raelyn beamed and let out a small cheer before launching herself at him. Edmund's eyes widened as he staggered back a step to keep them both upright. Once his balance was regained he chuckled, wrapping his arms around the girl's waist. After a moment of hugging they both realized that they had been holding one another a bit longer than necessary. Instantly they jumped apart and laughed nervously.

"We should um….." Edmund gestured towards the woods.

"Yea probably." She agreed, not meeting his eye. Edmund held out a hand, which she took with a small smile to continue their trek.

"Will you tell me more about Narnia? Anything else I ought to know?" Raelyn asked, breaking the silence. He smiled back down at her with his crooked grin.

"Of course I will." He told her softly before going into everything and anything she wanted to know.

...

After everyone had gone to sleep Lucy was lying on her back looking up at the stars, with the fire still crackling behind her.

"Lucy are you awake?" Susan whispered. Lucy didn't answer. Susan turned over onto her side and looked down at her sister.

"Why didn't I see Aslan?" she asked. During this time Raelyn had woken up and was listening in on the conversation. Edmund was lying beside her, and she had shifted up against his chest using his arm as a pillow. She snuggled closer towards his chest as she listened to the sisters talking.

"You believe me?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"Well we got across the gorge." Susan pointed out sheepishly.

"I don't know." Lucy answered, referring back to the original question. Susan pursed her lips in thought.

"Maybe you didn't really want to." Lucy suggested.

"You always knew we'd be coming back didn't you?" Susan asked as more of a statement.

"I hoped so." Lucy answered honestly. Susan sighed and shifted onto her back.

"I had finally gotten used to the idea of being in England." She confessed. Raelyn's face scrunched up in confusion. Why would anyone be happy going back to England when they had this place?

"But you're happy to be here aren't you?" Lucy asked hopefully.

"While it lasts." Susan sighed. Raelyn frowned, letting the implication sinking in. Letting out a small yawn she shifted in closer towards Edmund for body heat, causing him shift. Raelyn froze, afraid she had woken him up but instead he tilted towards her and slung an arm around her waist, effectively trapping her within his arms. She blushed but didn't shy away from the embrace. Instead she sighed in contentment before drifting off to sleep once more.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning a rustling noise brought Raelyn out of her deep sleep. Hearing someone walking into the forest piqued her curiosity and she sleepily turned her head to look around the fire. When she glanced around she noticed that Lucy and Peter were missing. Feeling nervous she turned her head back to face the sleeping boy beside her. Looking up at his face she smiled, seeing his hair in disarray and his jaw slack as he slept soundly.

"Ed?" she asked quietly. He groaned but only pulled her closer to cuddle with her. Raelyn giggled at the action and watched as a sleepy smile slipped onto his face; however, she wasn't convinced that he was fully awake yet.

"Edmund wake up." She called again, pushing on his chest as he protested by pulling her closer.

"No…sss to early to..gtup.." he slurred incoherently, burying his face into her hair.

"Ed really. Peter and Lucy are gone." She tried again. Edmund frowned and finally opened up his eyes.

"They're what?" he asked again.

"They're gone, Peter and Lucy. And I just heard someone walking off." She quickly explained. Edmund groaned as he rolled onto his back. With a heavy sigh he dragged himself up before assisting her. The two of them went to wake up Susan and Trumpkin before gathering their weapons and walking off in the direction that they suspected the other two went. As they traveled farther inward the group could hear shouts and clanging metal, indicating a sword fight. Edmund quickly broke into a run, the others following after him. Following the sounds they made their way into a clearing to see Peter on the ground and another dark haired boy struggling to get his sword out of the tree next to him. Grasping for a weapon Peter picked up a rock and started to charge after the boy. However, the boy freed the sword and was turning around to face Peter.

"No! Stop!" Raelyn quickly shouted, not wanting any violence. The two froze and turned to see the rest of the group standing before them. Raelyn blushed heavily at the eyes on her but it was forgotten when she saw a wide array of creatures emerging from the forest around them. Instinctively she backed into Edmund, who put a comforting arm around her shoulders as they stared at the Narnians before them. Peter turned to glare at the boy holding his sword.

"Prince Caspian?" Edmund asked curiously.

"Yes?..." he answered hesitantly, his eyes glancing over the growing crowd nervously.

"….and who are you?" Caspian continued, trying to ease the tension between the groups. Before they could answer there was shouting coming from behind them.

"Peter! Edmund! Raelyn, wait up!" Susan shouted, finally catching up with them. They all turned to see Susan, Trumpkin, and Lucy popping up from behind the bushes. Caspian stared at the other humans in shock before glancing down at the sword in his hand. He took note of the lion head on the hilt and connected the dots to who they were.

"High King Peter." He realized looking up at Peter in mortification.

"I believe you called." Peter quipped with a smirk at the boy who had realized his importance.

"Well yes but I thought you'd be older." Caspian muttered and looked over the group before him. His eyes glanced over the small redhead that seemed out of place among the siblings. Edmund tensed as he noticed the boy's gaze.

"Well if you'd like we can come back in a few years?" Peter countered, breaking Caspian's gaze from the others.

"No!" he quickly protested. He cleared his throat, sheepish from his sudden shout.

"No it's alright, your just…..you're not exactly what I expected." Caspian admitted, glancing back up at the older two girls.

"Neither are you." Edmund mused, staring at him warily. Raelyn looked over and eyed the Minotaurs skeptically, remembering what she had been told about them.

"A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes." Trufflehunter, the badger, wisely commented as he noticed her gaze. Raelyn gasped and smiled down at him curiously, not expecting him to talk after what happened with the bear. The badger chuckled at her reaction, causing her to blush.

"We have anxiously awaited your return my liege." A large mouse piped up. Peter beamed down at him, grateful for the respect.

"Our hearts and swords are at your service." He added with a bow.

"Oh my gosh he is so cute." Lucy whispered, leaning towards Raelyn. Hearing the comment the mouse whipped out his sword.

"Who said that?!" he demanded. Raelyn stifled a giggle using Edmund's shoulder. He grinned down a her in amusement but said nothing.

"Sorry." Lucy apologized sheepishly. Reepicheep lowered his sword.

"Oh…uh…your majesty. With the greatest respect, I do believe courageous, courteous, or chivalrous would better fit a night of Narnia." Reepicheep politely explained.

"Well at least we know some of you can handle a blade." Peter pointed out haughtily; Caspian frowning at the subtle jab.

"Yes indeed, and I have recently put it to good use securing weapons for your armies." Reepicheep informed him.

"Good because we're going to need every sword we can get." Peter pointedly told Caspian demeaningly. Raelyn frowned at the hostility.

"Well then you'll probably be wanting yours back." Caspian calmly told Peter, handing him sword without shying away from his gaze. Peter glared and snatched the weapon from him before sheathing it. Without another word he began trekking into the woods.


	12. Chapter 12

The group walked down one of the pathways, following behind Caspian and Peter. It was obvious that the two were silently squaring up to one another. Raelyn rolled her eyes as the glares they were shooting one another. Men. She and Edmund remained silent as they watched the two bicker before Peter growled and stormed ahead. Edmund sighed and set a hand on her back, leaning in to whisper in her hear.

"I should go talk to him. Be right back." He assured her and jogged to try and pacify his older brother. Meanwhile Raelyn caught up to Caspian who has slowed his pace, his face thoughtful.

"Don't worry about him. Oftentimes with Peter he talks a big game." Raelyn casually piped up from beside him. Caspian jumped a little and smiled down at the girl beside him.

"Maybe he's right. After all I am not king of these people." He mused sadly. Raelyn chuckled, causing him to frown curiously at her.

"And from what I understand Peter has been away for hundreds of years. I don't think either one of you has an advantage here." She countered pointedly. Caspian smiled, a bit more genuinely this time. He watched the girl beside him gaze around at the scenery with childlike wonder, yet at the same time she was able to spout out wisdom like it was nothing.

"Forgive me but I don't remember you in any of the stories that I have heard." He asked her curiously, his mood a bit lighter than when Peter had stormed off. Raelyn smiled shyly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I would assume not. This is actually my first time here." She informed him. He stared at her in surprise.

"You are from a different land?" Raelyn bit her lip, trying to figure out how to explain this.

"Sorta…..I actually came from where the Pev….um….the kings and queens came from." She elaborated. Caspian nodded in understanding. Sorta.

"That would explain your strange accents then." Caspian mused. She looked at him, a grin tugging at her lips. Yes she still had her Irish accent but it wasn't quite as thick as it once was.

"You're one to talk." She muttered in response, refereeing to his thick Spanish one. Caspian nodded and smiled at her. As they fell back into silence, the two heard the conversation going on behind them.

"So what are they like?" Trufflehunter eagerly asked Trumpkin.

"Malcontents, whiners, stubborn as mules in the morning." He listed dryly.

"Oh….so you like them then?" Nickabrik casually pointed out from beside them. Caspian shot Raelyn a smirk, to which she blushed.

"Well enough." Trumpkin admitted after a moment. Caspian and Raelyn snickered quietly.

...

Soon enough they made their way to the edge of the woods and paused. Caspian and Raelyn watched as the others stared at the small hill on the other end of the field before them. Raelyn frowned at how it stuck out amidst the scenery. After a moment of silence the Pevensies continued on, the rest of the group following behind. Arriving at the How there was a group of centaurs lined up along the stone path leading into the hill. As the royals got close enough they each unsheathed their swords and held them above the path, making an archway of sorts for them to walk under. Raelyn smiled in amazement at the sight, causing Caspian to chuckle next to her as he caught sight of her expression. The two of them watched from behind as the Pevensie's straightened up, falling easily into the royal life and disciplines. Raelyn smiled as she watched her friends make their way forward with proud steps. Caspian held back beside her for a moment, recognizing that he didn't hold the same respect as they did. When it was appropriate he followed behind them. Raelyn frowned and glanced around at the other Narnian creatures surrounding her, unsure of where she fit into all of this. She wasn't a royal and she wasn't even a native to Narnia. Feeling her timid nature flaring up again she began fidgeting with her fingers, uncomfortable with the situation. A few murmurs from the dwarfs beside her caught her attention and she looked up to see what all the fuss was about. As if he had felt her nerves, Edmund was making his way back out towards them in a jog. He smiled over at Raelyn and instantly took her hand, tugging her along to walk down the pathway with him.

"Ed aren't you supposed to be in there with the other royals? That's your place isn't it?" she shyly asked as he casually led the way. Edmund looked down at her in confusion.

"Why would I do that when you were out here?" he countered easily, shooting her his crooked grin. Raelyn blushed heavily and walked closer to him.

"Thank you." She muttered quietly. Edmund was one of the few people who understood her and continued to care about her well being. Hearing him admit that he would choose her over his royal status was heartwarming.

"I would never leave you behind Raelyn." He assured her warmly. The girl beamed up at him and continued onward, leaving the Narnians to watch them with new interest.


	13. Chapter 13

Inside the fortress the sound of pounding metal could be heard as weapons were being fixed in preparation for the war that was bound to happen.

"It may not be what you are used to, but it is defendable." Caspian explained to Peter as they glanced around. Peter nodded silently.

"Well I'm not used to any of this so it looks just fine to me." Raelyn chirped jokingly. The group chuckled in amusement as she was always able to point out the good in situations. Edmund shot Caspian a disapproving look as he watched the boy smile at Raelyn fondly. Before Caspian could continue their tour a voice spoke up from one of the pathways behind them.

"Peter, you may want to see this." Susan informed as she had been exploring the pathways in the How. As she disappeared down it once more, the group followed behind. Peter led the way, holding a torch to provide some light for them. Soon enough they reached a small alcove and on the wall was a mural of their reign and events from their golden years. Raelyn excitedly walked closer to the walls, taking in every detail of the intricate paintings, Edmund trailing behind her.

"It's us." Lucy pointed out in confusion. Raelyn took note of her tone and turned to Edmund with a frown.

"You didn't know about this?" she asked him. Edmund shook his head as he continued staring at the paintings curiously.

"What is this place?" Susan asked, turning to look at Caspian who had been standing silently behind them. They all turned to look at him questioningly.

"You don't know?" he stated with a frown. No one answered but their expressions said it all. Caspian nodded silently and grabbed one of the torches hanging on the wall. Leading the way down yet another hallway he eventually made his way into the center of the hill. As they walked into the seemingly large room Edmund stumbled into Raelyn as she had stopped near the entrance.

"Can't see a thing." Edmund muttered in apology as they righted themselves. Raelyn frowned and glanced around the room. She had no problem seeing the room which she found odd.

"Really?" she asked him in confusion. She watched as Edmund frowned at her.

"Oh course, the only light in here is from the torch that Caspian is carrying and he's over there." Edmund gestured. Raelyn frowned as she glanced around once more, she hadn't even noticed the difference. Before she could put much thought into it Caspian walked over and dipped his torch into one of the trench around the edges of the room. Instantly the oil within it caught on fire and began making its way around, lighting up the room so everyone else could see what Raelyn had been seeing. The group examined the room and the carvings on the wall in between stone pillars. However their eyes caught one particular carving of a large lion in between the two biggest pillars, placed strategically in front of a large stone table that was cracked in half. Raelyn stared up at the carving curiously, amazed by the royal presence that just this piece of art portrayed. She had no doubt that it must have been the Aslan that she had heard so much about. Lucy stared at the carving sadly and approached the stone table, running her hands along the edges of it.

"He must know what he's doing." She reasoned, looking back at her siblings. Peter swallowed thickly as he too stared ahead at the carving that seemed to be looking down at him. Raelyn watched in confusion as his demeanor seemed to harden as he became silent.

"I think it's up to us now." He commented before swiftly making his way back up to the surface. Slowly the others trickled out behind him, leaving Raelyn and Edmund behind. Raelyn because she was still curious and Edmund because he didn't want to lose her in the collection of pathways that were all around the How.

"Edmund, have you ever had things happen to you here that never happened back home?" she curiously asked, the previous incident with her sudden night vision starting to bother her. Ed chuckled in confusion.

"Well yea, it's a magical land…anything specific you are talking about?" he ventured, thoroughly confused as to what she was getting at. She sighed and looked up at him.

"How dark was it when we entered?" she asked instead. Edmund's face scrunched up as he was still lost.

"Pretty dark I guess; I mean I couldn't see much past Caspian. Ray I'm thoroughly confused as to where this conversation is going." He told her honestly. Raelyn shrugged and stared hard at the ground before them.

"When we walked in I had no problem seeing everything in the room, like it wasn't even dark in the first place." She told him shyly, not wanting to sound stupid. Edmund shrugged, not seeing the problem.

"So your eyes adjusted quicker than ours did." He suggested, watching her closely. She was truly bothered by this and he couldn't fathom why.

"No it wasn't that. This is something that I've never done before. It was almost…..supernatural?" she tried to explain. Edmund pursed his lips and strolled closer to her, setting his hands on her shoulders comfortingly.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. Anything can happen in Narnia." He assured. Raelyn looked up at him with a small smile. His calmness beginning to effect her.

"Have you ever had something like this happen?" she asked. Edmund bounced his head around noncommittally.

"….not at all." He finally admitted. Raelyn giggled and pushed his shoulder playfully.

"Gee thanks a lot I feel so much better now." She quipped sarcastically, causing him to chuckle along with her. Edmund sighed and pulled her in close for a hug. Raelyn smiled in contentment, subtly snuggling into the embrace.

"Better?" he asked shyly. He could feel her smile against his chest.

"Much better." She whispered, trying to fight off the blush blossoming across her cheeks. As they pulled apart, Edmund grabbed her hand and began leading her back up to join the others. The sound of metal hitting metal brought a thought into Raelyn's mind. She gasped excitedly, yanking on Ed's hand to get his attention.

"Ed can you teach me how to use a sword now?!" she asked rather quickly, looking up at him with wide and pleading eyes. Edmund grinned down at her, unable to say no to that face.

"I think we can spare a little time." He mused. Raelyn beamed at him and began dashing down the hallways, this time being the one to drag Edmund around. Not that he minded the change.


	14. Chapter 14

Later that night everyone had gathered in the center of the How to discuss strategy against the Telmarines. Just a few hours before a century had spotted one of the enemy soldiers had been spotted, prompting the royals to set up a plan quickly.

"It's only a matter of time. Miraz's men and war machines are on their way." Peter explained as he paced around the room, making eye contact with those present as he did.

"That means those same men aren't protecting the castle." He elaborated.

"What do you propose we do your majesty?" Reepicheep asked.

"We need to start….."

"We need to get ready for…." Both Peter and Caspian started talking at the same time. After a few words the two immediately paused and Peter sent him a warning look, daring him to continue. Caspian held his gaze for a moment, hoping to get a chance to put in his own advice but Peter was unrelenting. Eventually Caspian sighed and glanced away in submission. Raelyn shot him a comforting smile from her spot beside Edmund, which he returned gratefully.

"Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us." Peter finished, now that he had control of the meeting once more.

"That is crazy, no one has ever taken that castle." Caspian immediately countered.

"There's always a first time." Peter quipped mockingly. Raelyn frowned at the nasty undertone in his voice.

"There's also probably a good reason that no one else has done it." She piped up in Caspian's defense. After all he was the one living here. Peter shot her an incredulous look, almost shocked that she would contradict her friends. She quickly glanced down, embarrassed by the attention she was getting. As an arm slung around her shoulder in comfort, she smiled over at Edmund. He smiled proudly at her, making her feel better about her input in the conversation. If Edmund wasn't scolding her then she must have made a logical point.

"We'll have the element of surprise." Trumpkin added, staring up the conversation once more.

"We have the advantage here." Caspian opposed once more. Susan stood up from her spot and stood beside the boy.

"If we dig in we can probably hold them off indefinitely." She chimed in. Caspian shot her a look of surprise that she was taking his side. Peter however was not at all pleased.

"I for one feel safer underground." Trufflehunter spoke up.

"Look I appreciate what you've done but this isn't a fortress. It's a tomb." Peter dismissed pointedly at Caspian.

"That's not the point. Have you listened to anything that's been said?" Raelyn spoke out once more, irritated at how one sided Peter was thinking. Peter growled in annoyance and shot her a look.

"But if they're smart the Telmarines will just wait and starve us out." Edmund added gently, not wanting to stir up any more tension. He shot Raelyn an apologetic look but she shrugged. There was nothing wrong with him siding with his brother. After all they knew more about this stuff than she did.

"We could collect nuts." A squirrel eagerly suggested.

"Yes, and throw them at the Telmarines!" Reepicheep praised sarcastically and glared at the squirrel.

"Shut up." He scolded before looking over at Peter. Despite the grim situation his comment made Raelyn smile in amusement.

"I think you know where I stand sire." The mouse informed the king. Peter glanced over at Glenstorm, the head centaur and one of the big influential creatures among the Narnians.

"If I get your troops in, can you handle the guards?" Peter asked. Everyone in the room looked up at the centaur, waiting for his answer.

"Or die trying my liege." He assured with a nod.

"That's what I'm worried about." Lucy's quiet voice chimed in from her spot perched on the stone table.

"Sorry?" Peter asked in confusion, his voice containing a harder edge to it.

"Well we're acting like there's only two options. Dying here or dying there." She pointed out maturely, unfazed by her brother's attitude.

"I don't think you've really been listening Lu." Peter told her tiredly.

"No, you're not listening. Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter." Lucy countered sternly. Raelyn watched as Peter's countenance immediately hardened at the dig.

"I think we've waited for Aslan long enough." He told her stiffly. With that he left, making his way to the upper levels of the How.

...

A few hours later everyone was either heading off to battle and practicing or being left behind to defend the fortress. Edmund was off somewhere helping strategize, leaving Raelyn to her own devices. She had already been outfitted with some armor, curtesy of the centaurs and Susan. As she wandered she fiddled with the belt holding her scabbard and sword at her hip. They had managed to find one that was suited to her needs and Edmund wanted her to have her own personal weapon. If Raelyn's reaction of kissing him on the cheek was any indicator, it was safe to say she was thrilled. Now as she wandered around the reality of the situation began to dawn on her. This wasn't some game, this was real battle where it was possible that they could get hurt or even killed. However, she was determined to go with them. She found herself wandering into one of the training rooms in the How and found Caspian shooting at targets with his crossbow. She watched him in wonder as he hit the center more often than not.

"Find something of interest?" his voice broke her out of her daze. She jerked her eyes up to spoke him smirking at her from the corner of his eyes. Raelyn blushed at being caught.

"Sorry, I was just admiring your aim." She apologized. Caspian chuckled at how flustered she could get.

"Would you like to try?" he turned and held out the bow towards her invitingly. Raelyn stared at him in shock before glancing down at the weapon. He waited patiently as she bit her lip in thought. Eventually she scurried over towards him, awaiting instructions. Caspian chuckled at her childlike curiosity. Her presence seemed to brighten up his previous mood. Thinking back he realized that she tended to have that effect on everyone. Caspian held out the crossbow towards the girl and she eagerly took it into her hands, attempting to imitate his stance.

"Here like this." He muttered, adjusting her arms and hips to square up with the target. She grinned as she felt something familiar in how she was positioned.

"This is sorta like aiming a shotgun." She mused. Caspian stared down at her in confusion, both at her words and how excited she was about the weapon. Looking up and seeing his questioning stare she chuckled sheepishly.

"It's a…..weapon of sorts that we have back home. We use it to hunt and stuff or shoot clay pigeons." She explained quietly. Caspian's brow rose even further.

"You kill pigeons made of clay?" he asked skeptically. How bizarre. She giggled and shrugged.

"Kinda." She admitted. Caspian nodded.

"Is it customary for girls to go hunting and use weapons where you're from?" he asked curiously.

"Well no but I grew up with three older brothers so I was always included in their activities. " she explained. Caspian nodded in understanding. Clearing his throat he leaned down to check her aim.

"Now when you have it lined up pull on this trigger and the arrow will fly." He instructed before stepping backwards. Raelyn nodded and scrunched up her face in determination. Soon after she pulled on the trigger and heard a 'thump' as the arrow hit one of the middle rings. She shrieked in elation.

"I hit it!" she cheered, looking up at Caspian excitedly. The boy nodded staring at the arrow, genuinely surprised at how well she had adjusted to the weapon.

"Very good, now take a few more shots to get used to the aiming." He instructed. Another hour or so went by and Caspian continued to fix the little things that Raelyn was doing, the girl soaking up as much as she could. Unknown to them Edmund had paused in the entrance, just watching them as Raelyn lined up another shot. He grinned at her excitement when she finally hit the center of the target. However it quickly dropped when he watched her latch onto Caspian in a hug as he swung her around laughing. As she was set down her eyes locked onto his form.

"Edmund!" she cheered, racing over towards him and hitting him full force with a hug too. Edmund chuckled, wrapping his arms around her contentedly.

"Did you see that?! I can use a crossbow now." She informed him rapidly, pointing back at her accomplishment as Caspian gathered up the arrows.

"She picked it up remarkably fast." Caspian complimented, walking back to the couple. Raelyn blushed at the praise.

"Thank you." She told him, referring to the compliment and the teaching. Edmund stared at him warily, unsure of how to react to Caspian attention to Raelyn. Caspian cleared his throat uncomfortably and handed her the crossbow.

"Take this one with you tonight." He instructed. Raelyn looked up at him in shock.

"But what about you?" she asked.

"I have another one." He assured her. Raelyn grinned and gently took the weapon from him, strapping it around her shoulders.

"It's time to head out." Edmund informed the two, eager to escape the tension. With that he wrapped an arm around Raelyn's shoulders possessively and led them out to meet up with the rest of the army.


	15. Chapter 15

That night a griffon flew silently through the dark skies as he carried King Edmund over the Telmarine castle. He glanced back to spot another griffon carrying Raelyn in his talons, the girl grinning back at him. Edmund rolled his eyes fondly. She would be the one to get excited about a castle raid. The griffons dropped their passengers on the top of a tower roof, just above the unsuspecting guard patrolling the wall. They waited until the guard was below them, with his back turned before a pair of talons reached down to snatch him up. In the same instant Edmund dropped down in the man's place before turning to catch Raelyn as she dropped down after him. They quickly walked over and scanned the courtyard below for any signs of movement. Once they were in the clear Edmund reached down to flicker his torch on and off, as a signal. With this the rest of the royals and a handful of other narnians made their way towards the castle. Raelyn watched in amazement as they sprung into action taking out the few guards that were left on the wall. Edmund and Raelyn remained outside as the others lowered down into the professor's room. As the minutes ticked by Edmund and Raelyn were leaning against the wall of the tower, staring out towards the courtyard.

"Well this is exciting." Raelyn sighed. Edmund chuckled at her dejected tone.

"I'm not too keen on you wanting to dive into battle Ray. I want you safe." He told her gently. Raelyn looked over and smiled shyly at the sincerity in his eyes.

"I'll be safe as long as you're around." She told him, sparing a glance his direction. Edmund grinned before clearing his throat as he fought off his own blush. As the silence lingered Edmund and Raelyn's eyes locked onto the others once more. He smiled crookedly at her, causing her to grin and loosen up. As he openly stared Edmund took the time to truly look at Raelyn. Ever since he had met her she became more confident and strong, making her even more beautiful in his mind. As if by some magical force, the two began leaning in towards one another. His breath hitched silently as looked into those sparkling grey eyes that seemed to bore right into his soul. They were hypnotic. As their noses brushed the sound of metal clattering, killed the moment. The two quickly jerked away from one another, each equally flustered as they thought back to what almost happened. Raelyn looked anywhere but at him as she tried to calm the blush that was creeping all the way up her ears and neck. She was thankful for the darkness at the moment. Edmund was blushing just as hard as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. They glanced back at one another tentatively before letting out silent giggles. With a heavy sigh Edmund straightened back up and began pacing around the walkway. As boredom took over once more he began tossing his torch up into the air and catching it, entertaining Raelyn as he did. However on one of the tosses the torch slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the balcony below. They both raced over and stared down with wide eyes as a soldier stepped out below them and began his patrol.

"Ed! What do we do now?!" Raelyn whisper shouted in a panic. The boy bit his lip in thought before darting towards the stairwell.

"Ed." Raelyn asked before chasing after him. As they went down Edmund stopped before a window on the wall and peered down to see the soldier picking up the torch and turning it over in his hand curiously. Raelyn whined nervously as he pushed on the switch, causing the light to blind the man. Then to make matters worse the clanging of warning bells echoes throughout the castle. Thinking fast Edmund lept out of the window and onto the soldier's back, knocking the flashlight out of his hands as they rolled around. Raelyn gasped and dashed down the stairs after them, not wanting to risk breaking her neck by jumping like Edmund had done. As she reached the wall Raelyn skidded to a stop as another Telmarine appeared in front of her. Jumping into action she quickly reached for her sword and held it up just in time to parry the attack. Her arms stung as the force of the blow but her adrenaline kept her alert as she pushed back.

...

"Now Ed, Now!" Peter shouted up at them as he charged into the courtyard, sword at the ready.

"I'm a bit busy now Pete!" Edmund countered as he grunted with effort, fighting off his own opponent up on the wall.

"Ray?!" Peter shouted, not able to see where she was at.

"Not now!" she shouted out in a panic, leaping out of the way of the sword. She moved the man forwards as she parried and blocked, making an offensive move whenever she could. As they neared the wall Raelyn was spun around, her back leaning up against the railing. The man let out a battle cry as he charged towards her. On instinct Raelyn let out a squeal as she ducked, accidentally sending the man over the railing as he tripped. She tentatively leaned over to spot him hitting the ground, making her wince.

Nearby, Edmund swiped the sword that had him pinned and head butted the Telmarine, making him stagger back in pain. Once that man was gone he turned to begin dueling another opponent. Not long after Edmund's sword was knocked out of his hand and he quickly ducked out of the way. Looking around he found nothing to defend himself with and scrambled backwards. Just as the man was about to run him through a large 'clang' sounded and the man fell limp. Edmund looked up in surprise to see Raelyn standing there holding a large shield that she had hit the man with.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, scanning over his body. Edmund nodded before looking over and grabbing the torch that had been knocked his direction.

"Yea, thanks." He grinned at her before trying to turn on the torch. Nothing happened. Edmund groaned in despair. Raelyn looked over to see the other three frantically trying to raise the gates, and her panic increased.

"Ed?!" she cried pointedly as she watched him smack the device to no avail. Looking down to see the courtyard filling with enemy soldiers a strange warm feeling began bubbling up in her chest. The others were stuck if they couldn't get the rest of the army to come. Feeling the emotions overflow she let out a shout and raised her hands up on instinct. As she did a large beam of bright light shot out of her hands, blinding the soldiers down below, gaining them some time. Raelyn gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Edmund froze and stared at her with wide eyes. What had just happened?


	16. Chapter 16

"What was that?!" Edmund shrieked in alarm as he stared at Raelyn with wide eyes. The red head shot him an exasperated glare.

"How am I supposed to know? It's not like I could do this back home!" she countered. Edmund nodded in realization before looking down at the dazed soldiers below. He went back to smacking his torch but to no avail.

"Well you might just have to do it again because I think my torch is broken." He told her frantically.

"Ed that's not funny." She warned, her nervousness starting to mount up once more.

"It's not a joke just do it again so we can give the signal." Edmund explained as gently as he could, trying not to freak her out any more. Raelyn groaned and closed her eyes before widening her palm, trying to mimic her previous actions. Nothing happened. Edmund bit his lip nervously as he watched her repeat the actions with no result; all the while the Telmarine's sight was coming back and they were once more gearing up to attack.

"Come on Ray you can do it." He coaxed, watching her closely. She shot him a look.

"I feel like an idiot." she muttered in frustration. It seemed so easy just a moment ago.

"Just imagine yourself projecting the light, it can't be that hard." He insisted.

"Oh do you have some magical power that I wasn't aware of?" Raelyn growled, getting more and more worked up.

"…No..."

"Then stop talking." She quipped irritably. Edmund smiled sheepishly, choosing to do just that as he didn't want to upset her. Looking down Raelyn spotted the Telmarines regrouping and heading towards her friends who were struggling to open the gate. She screamed in annoyance.

"Come on! Light!" she shouted, glaring at her hands. Suddenly a bright beam shot out of her hands once more and she turned her head away to avoid being blinded. Edmund blinked owlishly as the beam reached towards the woods where their army was waiting.

"Well that works." He mused. Soon enough a charge could be heard and the two grinned as the army neared the castle. Thankfully the royals had gotten the gate open in time and lead the way as the two armies clashed in the courtyard. Raelyn watched with wide eyes as the battle raged on below them. She had never seen one up close before. Learning about these things in school was vastly different from experiencing it firsthand. Suddenly a shout brought her out of her daze.

"Archers!" she heard one of the soldiers shout. She and Edmund leaned over the wall to spot a squadron of men lining up on the wall below them, taking aim at the Narnians in the courtyard. Edmund spotted one that was aiming for his brother and sprang into action. Without a second thought he lept over the side of the wall and slid down the roof, knocking over the man.

"Ed!" Raelyn shouted in alarm, getting the attention of Peter down below. He watched as Raelyn jumped down after him, landing on a soldier of her own. Of course she apologized as she sent him over the wall.

"Ray, Ed look out!" Peter warned. The two froze and looked over Edmund's shoulder to see a whole line of armed soldiers staring at them. Raelyn chuckled nervously. In an instant Edmund snatched her hand and yanked her down through the open doorway as the men fired their arrows. They quickly scrambled inside before Edmund kicked the door shut, not wasting a moment in getting up and dragging Raelyn along with him.

...

The duo made their way through the halls, bolting as they tried to avoid the oncoming guards that were flooding the castle. Raelyn shrieked in surprise when a group rounded the corner. The groups stared at each other for a moment before the Telmarines whipped out their swords and Edmund did the same, standing protectively in front of her. As the parties clashed Raeyln had no choice but to get involved for the first time. Relying on Edmund's teaching she tentatively blocked the hits that were thrown at her, doing much better than expected. She chalked it up to the adrenaline. Soon Raelyn was wearing down and was getting pushed back as the man continued to come after her. Edmund finished off one and turned to find Raelyn losing her own battle. In a panic he raced over and swiftly knocked the man out with the handle of his sword. The redhead looked up at him in shock.

"You alright?" he asked, holding her shoulders and checking her over. She numbly nodded. Edmund frowned at her silence but it was understandable. She had just gone through her first battle. Coming back to the moment he glanced around before taking her hand once more and leading her down the hall. Eventually they made their way out of a door and Edmund glanced around for something to lock it with. Finding nothing he stuck his torch into the handle.

"Uh oh." Raelyn murmured behind him. Edmund turned around his eyes widened to find that they were on a tiny overlook on the very outer edge of the wall. He rushed over beside her and looked over the railing to see nothing but a sheer drop off the side of the cliff. Banging from the door behind him caused the two to whip around as the soldiers started beating the door in an attempt to get it open.

"Ed what are we going to do?" Raelyn whispered in fright as she huddled closer to him. Edmund bit his lip as he looked around, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Working on it." He told her tensely, desperately trying to come up with a plan. Two guards opened up the door and filed into the small space, trapping Edmund and Raelyn up against the rail. They drew their swords and Ed stood up on the edge, pulling Raelyn along with him. He swallowed nervously glanced back behind him before standing up straight and calmly at the men. Raelyn shot him an incredulous look.

"Just go with it." He instructed.

"Go with whaaaaaat?!" she shrieked as Edmund pulled her along with him as he fell backwards, holding onto her tightly. The guards rushed forwards to look over the railing when suddenly a griffon shot up from the cliff below, with Edmund and Raelyn on its back. Raelyn finally opened her eyes as she latched onto Edmund and smacked him on the back of his head.

"Warn me next time!" she shouted at him angrily. Edmund looked back at her sheepishly.

"Hopefully there won't be a next time." He apologized as they flew over the dark castle.


	17. Chapter 17

Edmund and Raelyn flew over the courtyard on the back of the griffon. His heart clenched as he heard Raelyn sniffle behind him before tugging him closer. He just knew her sensitive heart was crushed by the sight of all the bodies of the Narnians littering the ground below them. Raelyn tried to fight back the tears, her emotions running rapid from her first battle. It was horrible but a necessary evil. As they cleared the castle the two remained silent as they returned to the How to meet up with whatever was left of their army.

...

The two landed silently near the back of the group, Edmund turning to help Raelyn off the creature. She latched onto his arm still silent from all that she had witnessed and experienced. Edmund wrapped his free hand around the one holding his bicep. The duo looked up to spot Lucy dashing out towards the group, only to stop and gaze around sadly. The depressed mood and rising tensions could be felt as everyone paused before her, unsure of how to start. Raelyn buried her head into Edmund's shoulder as she spotted a group of creatures anxiously waiting for their loved ones who would never return.

"What happened?" Lucy finally asked in a quiet voice. Peter turned to glare at Caspian.

"Ask him." he spat.

"Peter" Susan instantly scolded from behind the boys.

"Me?" Caspian asked incredulously as he slowed his pace.

"You could have called it off, there was still time." Caspian told him lowly. Peter paused to turn on him. Raelyn swallowed nervously, thinking back to all that happened. If she hadn't have had that little outburst back at the castle, then they wouldn't have made it. As if sensing her anxiousness Edmund pulled her tighter against him.

"No there wasn't thanks to you. If you'd kept to the plan those soldiers might be alive now." Peter countered pointedly, struggling to keep his voice steady as all the anger began raising to the surface.

"If you'd have stayed here like I suggested, they definitely would be!" Caspian threw back, not letting Peter place all the blame on him this time.

"You called us remember." Peter scoffed. Caspian stared icily at the boy.

"My first mistake." He growled.

"No, your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people." Peter countered hautily and turned to walk away.

"Hey!" Caspian shouted, getting his attention. Peter turned to stare at him, as if daring him to continue.

"I am not the one who abandoned Narnia." Caspian spat. Raelyn could fell Edmund tense up.

"You invaded Narnia. You have no more right to be here than Miraz does." Peter accused, his jaw clenching. Caspian growled and shoved his way past Peter. However Peter wasn't quite done.

"You, him, your father!" Peter continued shouting after him. Caspian froze.

"Narnia's better off without the lot of you." Peter finished in a growl. Caspian instantly turned on Peter, drawing his sword and letting out a loud battle cry as he did. Peter, already prepared for a fight, whipped out his own weapon to block Caspian's blade.

"Hey!" a voice shouted from the back. The two boys paused, swords still crossed in the air and turned to look at the person. Raelyn was shaking as she glared at the two of them, fed up with all the accusations flying around. Edmund stared at her wide eyed, not used to this side of her.

"Just stop it both of you! It was no one's fault, you both were stupid so stop playing the blame game and man up!" she shouted angrily. Peter straightened up and steeled his eyes on her. Done with her little outburst Raelyn went back to her quiet nature and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Ray just stay out of this. You don't know what you're talking about." He scolded. Raelyn looked dup at him in shock but glared right back.

"You don't get to say that. I have seen more than enough today and despite what you apparently think, I'm not a child and I'm not ignorant to what goes on. I just have the good sense to listen before I act." She spat at him and pushed her way into the How, everyone watching the red head go. Before anyone could go after her, everyone's attention was brought to the sound of hoofbeats coming forward. In a centaur's arms was a still Trumpkin. Edmund swallowed his need to chase after Raelyn and walked over to help lay the dwarf down onto the stone. As he did Lucy rushed forward and pulled out her healing cordial. Caspian took the moment to stomp back into the How, Nickabrik hot on his heels. Lucy leaned forward to let out a drop of the liquid into the dwarf's mouth and waited patiently. Suddenly he let out a gasp and shot up, blinking open bleary eyes.

"What are you all staring for? The Telmarines will be here soon enough." He grunted, not enjoying having all eyes on him.

"Thank you…my dear little friend." He muttered to Lucy, avoiding her gaze. She smiled down at him before getting up and walking back into the how with her sister. Peter sighed and sheathed his sword tiredly. He looked up at Edmund was about to pass him.

"Hey Ed, I'm going to need your help with…" he began but stopped as Edmund shrugged off his sholder and glared at his brother. Peter stared at him in confusion.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked incredulously. Edmund's brows shot up.

"Really? How can you be so casual after the way you treated Ray?" he snapped. Peter rolled his eyes. Of course he would be upset about that.

"Ed she's got to realize that she isn't ready for all of this." he pointed out. Edmund shook his head.

"You have no idea what she went through in that castle. And she handled it much better than you ever would. Peter I was the one freaking out!" he rambled, running a hand through his hair.

"What are you talking about?" Peter inquired, watching his brother's actions curiously. Ed sighed.

"We have a lot to discuss" he muttered.


	18. Chapter 18

Raelyn stormed through the halls of the How, not worrying about getting lost just yet. She needed to blow off some steam and get away from everything. As she slowed she found herself in a darker alcove, deep in the fortress and away from all the noises going on in the upper levels. There she let the emotions she had all pent up inside of her release in the form of a scream. Once her vocal chords stung a bit she slid down the wall and stared at her hands with bleary eyes. Why was all this happening to her? At first it was all new and exciting but now it was real…and it was frightening. And what was with this new found ability of hers? Why did she have it now? As questions and worries flew through her head a low growl caught her attention. The girl instantly stood up in fright and glanced around, unable to see a figure.

"Who's there?" she called, keeping her voice steady.

"Someone with the answers you seek." The voice rasped. Alarms started going off in her head but at the same time her interest was piqued.

"What answers?" she continued, trying to find the owner of the mysterious voice.

"The light my child. The light that comes from you." It continued lowly. Raelyn bit her lip.

"How would you know about that. Edmund didn't even know what it was." She asked. If a king of Narnia didn't know about this then why should some invisible voice?

"There are legend, things they won't tell you. Come and find out the truth about your great power." It enticed. Raelyn fidgeted in her spot. The voice sounded convincing but Ed wouldn't lie to her right? Was there something no one was telling her? But then again maybe if they didn't know, then she could get some answers.

"Come, follow the light." It whispered once more from the hallway to her left. Raelyn frowned as she could spot the faintest glow appear at the end of the hallway. Against her better judgement she slowly made her way down the hall, following the winding path that led her to back to the large, open room. Inside she found someone else, this time a familiar face.

"Caspian?" she questioned, frowning at the prince.

"Raelyn, what are you doing here?" the boy jumped, not expecting her to show up.

"I wanted answers." She muttered dismissively. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a dwarf…Nickabrik….if she remembered correctly.

"Were you the one that called me down here?" she questioned cautiously. Raelyn was instantly put off by the look in his eyes.

"No, I am but a messenger. There is still a greater ancient power that you two have yet to seek out. One that kept even Aslan at bay for 100 years." He informed with a wicked grin. The two humans stared at one another in confusion. Suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of the wind, which morphed into an animalistic snarl as it rattled through the room. Raelyn instantly drew closer to Caspian, a sinking feeling in her stomach. Caspian drew his sword, standing before her protectively and warily looked around for the source.

"Who's there?" he called out. They watched as a hooded figure emerged from the shadows at one end of the room.

"I am hunger….i am thirst." A raspy growl answered. Raelyn's eyes widened as she recognized it as the voice from the halls. What had she just stepped into? She stared at the large furry muzzle that peeked out of the hood.

"…I can fast for 100 years and not die." The werewolf, as she determined it to be, rasped inching closer to the duo. The prince held out his weapon warningly towards the creature. Footsteps from behind, caught Raelyn's attention. Caspian heard her gasp as she pulled out her own weapon and shakily held it out before her, standing side by side with him but facing opposite directions. Caspian glanced over his shoulder to spot another hooded figure making its way towards them.

"I can lie 100 nights on the ice, and not freeze." Raelyn stared at the new figure, which revealed its self to be a beaked faced hag.

"I can drink a river of blood and not burst." Caspian glanced over towards Nickabrik, who nodded at him with a grin.

"Show me your enemies!" the wolf snarled, yanking off its hood to reveal its entire face. Raelyn could feel Caspian stiffen from beside her. Slowly the hag began to circle over closer to her companion, causing the humans to face the same direction, weapons raised in the air.

"What you hate so will we. No one hates better than us." The hag chimed in. Caspian slowly lowered his sword as he started to listen. Raelyn stared at him incredulously. He couldn't be considering this?

"And you can….guarantee Miraz's death?" he asked warily.

"And more." The hag assured.

"Then why am I here?" Raelyn questioned, curious as to why everything was so pressed towards Caspian's problems.

"You child are here to learn. We know the way to find the answers you seek. The light inside that you can't control." The wolf rasped, locking his eyes upon her. Caspian whipped around to look at her.

"The light? That was you?" he asked curiously. Raelyn shrugged.

"It would seem." She muttered, not meeting his gaze as she was still bothered by the whole ordeal. Caspian nodded, taking in all this information and sheathed his sword. Raelyn paused before doing the same, after all he was more used to this land than she was. Maybe he knew something she didn't.

The two stood side by side as some ritual was performed, the hag chanting an ancient language while the werewolf drew a circle around them with his claw. As the circle was completed, the hag pulled out half of an icy wand and with a cry she plunged it into the stairs. Immediately ice began to flow from the wand, traveling up the sides of the pillars to create an icy wall between the columns. They remained rooted in their spots, watching with varying expressions of curiosity and terror.

Raelyn gasped as she felt an icy prick shoot up her feet. They looked down to see a trail of ice building underneath her. Instinctively she began scooting away from the cold temperatures, and gulped nervously as it continued to direct her to beside the pillars. Suddenly the ice lept out across the floor and encased her feet beside the growing wall. She looked over at Caspian in fear as it began to build, the cold seeping into her skin. As the ice in the wall thickened they watched as a figure emerged from within. Raelyn's eyes widened as a figure she had only heard about appeared before them. Caspian, who had grown up with the legends, recognized the White Witch of old. Raelyn cried out in fright as the ice around her feet continued to build up to encase her waist, locking her in the position.

"Caspian?" she called out, tearing him out of whatever trance he was in.

"Wait, this isn't what I wanted!" he shakily protested, trying to make his way to Raelyn's aid. Before he could leave the circle, the wolf grabbed him and locked his arm so his hand was outstretched.

"Just one drop of Adam's blood and you free me." The soothing voice of the trapped witch instructed.

"What, no!" Raelyn shouted, looking over at Caspian pleadingly.

"I am yours my king." The woman quickly assured with a sickly sweet smile. Caspian continued to struggle as he was held in place as the hag sliced his palm with her dagger. As the spell continued taking effect the Witch looked over at the redhead to the side of her. Raelyn's eyes widened in fear as she stared back into the cold glare of the woman.

"The light embodied. I have heard of you. Such power encased in such a foolish child. Don't worry you will be dealt with soon." She mused deviously.

"What are you talking about? Just let us go." Raelyn told her, trying and failing to wiggle out of her ice casing. The woman said nothing but turned back to Caspian who had begun to still in the wolf's grasp. She slowly stretched out her hand through the ice barrier towards him. Caspian felt a chill run up his spine, quickly followed by a wave of peace. He stopped struggling completely as his eyes glazed over.

"Caspian, what are you doing?!" Raelyn shouted, trying to get his attention. Caspian blinked as he glanced over at Raelyn who was desperately trying to get his attention. The white witch quickly stretched out her hand farther, gaining back the boy's attention. Caspian slowly took a step forward, his bleeding hand lifting up.


	19. Chapter 19

_"Caspian, what are you doing?!" Raelyn shouted, trying to get his attention. Caspian blinked as he glanced over at Raelyn who was desperately trying to get his attention. The white witch quickly stretched out her hand farther, gaining back the boy's attention. Caspian slowly took a step forward, his bleeding hand lifting up._

 _..._

"Stop!" a voice cut in through the tense atmosphere. Raelyn looked up with a relieved grin as Peter, Edmund, Lucy, and Trumpkin came rushing into the room, their weapons at the ready.

"Get Caspian!" Raelyn shouted in warning as she noticed the boy had remained oblivious to everything around him. Before they could reach him, the wolf and hag rushed into action to intercept the group. Edmund spotted Raelyn across the room in her trapped predicament and instantly dashed straight towards her. The wolf was the first to come into his path and Edmund effortlessly slipped the creature over his shoulder and turned to finish it off.

...

Trumpkin and Nickabrik lunged into their own battle, daggers clashing. Peter went and took on the hag.

...

Raelyn watched as they all were occupied in their own battles, while she struggled fruitlessly to get out of her icy trap. Not wanting to be useless Raelyn looked around for something she could use to help. With an eye roll the remembered about her newfound gift. She lifted her hands tentatively. Despite her fear of what was happening to her she wanted to help, she had to help. As she awkwardly tried to summon her powers she frowned. Why wasn't it working?

"Trouble small one?" a taunting voice interrupted her train of thought. Raelyn glared at the woman in the ice and went back to trying to summon something.

...

Edmund grunted in pain as the wolf lunged for his midsection, flipping him onto his back roughly. On the way down he managed to slice the creature's leg, earning a pained howl. As he landed Edmund coughed, trying to gain back his breath but didn't get up.

"Ed!" the redhead cried out in fear. She watched worriedly as the creature began staggering to his feet, eyes set on the writhing boy on the ground. With a burst of anger, Raelyn aimed a beam of light towards the wolf, this time scorching the fur on its side. Blinding and burning, what else could she do? Before she could try again the ice around her crept up even higher, restraining her hands within it.

...

Nickabrik knocked the dagger away from Trumpkin and raised his own above his head. Before he could deliver the blow, Lucy ran in and held a dagger to his neck threateningly. Nickabrik instantly disarmed her and switched their positions, twisting her arm painfully behind her back.

...

Watching her friends struggling Raelyn turned to look at Caspian who still remained in the Witch's spell.

"Caspian! Wake up, please!" she shouted frantically. The boy blinked hard, her shouts barely breaking through. The Witch's eyes widened in fear as she glanced between the two. Maybe the child was a bit more powerful than she thought.

...

Meanwhile, Edmund took the extra moment Raelyn had gained him and scrambled to his feet before running off towards a nearby ledge. The wolf snarled and followed the boy. Skillfully Edmund launched himself off the ledge, turned midair, and sliced his sword down on the creature's head.

...

Nickabrik lunged for Lucy but froze and slumped to the floor, revealing Trumkin holding a bloodied knife.

...

Seeing that she was quickly losing the battle the witch impatiently shook her hand.

"Come on." She urged to dazed boy in a panic. Caspian's eyes were brought back to her and he reached forward.

"Caspian?!" Raelyn shouted in alarm. Just before he could reach the woman's hand he turned to look at the redhead once again. In this moment Peter barreled into the prince and knocked him out of the circle, right in front of Raelyn.

"Get away from him." he roared. The witch straightened as she stared down at the familiar face, her shocked expression slowly morphing into calm.

"Peter dear, I've missed you." She cooed and reached out for him. Peter faltered, feeling the uneasy calmness start to take hold of him.

...

Edmund raced over to Raelyn frantically glancing around and trying to pry the ice off of her.

"Ed.."

"Shh its ok, don't worry I'll get you out." he immediately cut her off. The thought of the white witch taking interest in her and keeping her captive terrified him. He knew firsthand what the woman was capable of and would be damned if Raelyn experienced any of it.

"Ed, help Peter." She pleaded, ducking her head to get his attention. Edmund glanced over at his brother before looking back up at her, obviously conflicted.

"Go, I've got her." a new voice chimed in. Edmund glanced over at Caspian who nodded sternly. He wasn't too keen on Caspian taking care of Raelyn, but in the current situation Edmund didn't have much of a choice. He reluctantly nodded and dashed off.

"Come on just one drop." The witch pressed, aware of the conversation taking place nearby. She only needed one second more.

"Peter" Raelyn called as Caspian tried to chip away at the ice around her. She had noticed that her voice influenced those caught in the witch's spell. All she needed was to buy Edmund a few extra seconds. Peter shook his head, the conflicting voices making his head pound. He began lowering his sword as he stared up at the vile woman blankly.

Before anything could happen, a slicing sound pierced the air. They both looked down to see the end of a sword sticking out of her middle. Peter's brow furrowed as he watched the ice crack and eventually shatter. Everyone ducked as best they could to avoid the flying ice shards. There Edmund stood, his sword hovering midair where the wall had previously been. He glared over at his brother lividly.

"I know, you had it sorted." He spat before sheathing his sword and walking over towards Raelyn. Once the ice had shattered, so had her casing. Edmund frowned as he saw that she was sitting on the floor shivering. He gently walked over and helped her up, wrapping his arm around her in effort to warm her up. The duo stared at Peter a moment before leading the procession out of the room. Peter watched sadly as everyone filed out silently, leaving him alone to think hard about everything that had happened. The disappointment that filled each of his siblings eyes devastated him. What was he supposed to do now?


	20. Chapter 20

Edmund led Raelyn through the How, into one of the makeshift bedrooms. There he quickly and silently grabbed a blanket for her and wrapped her up in it, slightly easing her shivering.

"You ok?" Raelyn asked gently, looking up at him. He had been quiet the whole walk over, his face scrunched up in deep thought. Edmund looked at her in surprise.

"I think I'm the one that should be asking that question." He countered. Raelyn smirked.

"I'm just fine now." She assured. Edmund grinned down at her. As he did he couldn't help but get lost in her silver iris's. Seeing the white witch had brought up painful memories, but seeing her with Raelyn just scared him senseless. The woman was evil and vile and nearly ruined his life. If anything had happened to Raelyn…..he just couldn't stand it. Even the thought caused his chest to constrict painfully.

"Ed?" a soft voice asked, distracting his train of thought momentarily. Edmund said nothing but continued staring down at her thoughtfully. In the silence, two had managed to shift closer to one another but neither minded. Raelyn blushed at their closeness and how he was gazing at her face with such intensity. It was a thoughtful stare but there was something else burning behind his eyes that gave her butterflies. Her eyes flickered down to his lips as their heads shifted closer to one another. Before she could say something else, a pair of soft lips on her own caught her off guard. She paused, before tentatively returning the kiss. This was better than any dream she could have come up with. If she was honest with herself, she had been fancying Edmund for quite a while now. His protectiveness always made her heart swell and feel special but she could never fathom that he would return the affection. Almost as quickly as it started Edmund pulled back and stared at her in alarm, his face turning a bright shade of red.

"Ray…I …I'm sorry… I didn't mean.." he began stuttering out apologetically but Raelyn quickly covered his mouth with her hand. Ed took the hint and watched her worriedly. Had he moved to fast? He didn't even know if she liked him back, it was just a spur of the moment action. She was just so sweet in nature that she could have just been a nice friend to him. His stomach sank as he fretted about whether or not he had just ruined a beautiful friendship. His brows furrowed as she smiled up at him gently.

"You don't have to apologize for anything….unless you didn't mean it?" she asked, slowly bringing her hand down. Edmund quickly grabbed it and held it to his chest tightly.

"I do…I mean I really like you Ray." He insisted, his eyes conveying that what he said was the truth. Raelyn's grin widened even brighter and she quickly lept up and pulled him into another kiss. This time Edmund wrapped his arms around her back, holding her up so they could be the same height. Breaking apart, the two smiled at one another giddily.

"I think I'm a little more than warmed up now." Edmund barked out a laugh at her innocent comment and pecked her lips quickly once again, already becoming addicted to them. He placed her back on her feet and the two just stood there staring at one another with stupid grins on their faces. Edmund looked down and grabbed her hands, running his thumb along both of her knuckles.

"So…that beam has a bit more kick to it than we thought huh?" he mused, examining her hands in curious fascination. Raeyln pursed her lip.

"I guess…..Ed I still don't know what's going on. The witch said something about me and light but I don't know what she was talking about. How would she know Ed?" she asked him, timid about what the answer might be. Edmund smiled at her in assurance.

"Maybe there was some prophesy or something that we never caught wind of." He suggested.

"I highly doubt I'm special enough to have a prophesy written about me." Raelyn countered dryly. Edmund frowned.

"Now that's stupid. Of course you're special enough, you're a fantastic person." He told her pointedly. Raelyn reluctantly grinned at him.

"Ok, say that was true…how would we know?" she asked him curiously. Edmund hummed thoughtfully before his eyes brightened.

"What about the Professor? He had told Caspian about all things Narnian, im sure he would know something." he told her. Raelyn nodded in agreement.

"Could we go now? I don't think I can wait." She told him anxiously. Edmund grinned and tugged on her hand, starting to lead her out of the room.

"Sure, we can." He told her with a grin. Raelyn smiled brightly before hastening her steps so she could wrap her hands around his arm as they walked. Edmund's grin widened even more.

"You're going to go ask with me right?" she inquired as they began making their way through the hallways. Edmund grinned at her impishly.

"Do I get a kiss as a reward?" he asked her. Raelyn rolled her eyes but grinned nonetheless.

"This is going to become a habitual thing for you now isn't it?" Edmund shrugged and didn't deny it.


	21. Chapter 21

Raelyn sat quietly on a ledge outside of the How, her face scrunched up in deep thought as she just stared out across the vacant field. The embodiment of light he had labeled her. The professor told them about how the legend came about shortly after the Pevensies had disappeared. Some said it was from Aslan himself and some say it came as a whisper among the trees. Either way no one is really sure where her legend came from, just that it had been passed down through the generations to bring hope. They said she would be able to bring light into even the darkest of places, and would be the one to end a coming darkness. What darkness? Surely she wouldn't be the one to put an end to the inevitable war here? She was like a newborn in this world, just sitting and watching in utter confusion and helplessness. The whole idea of having to live up to a legend was overwhelming.

Despite her growing doubts and trepidations about this whole legend thing, there had been one person that put a new spin on it. Edmund instantly began pointing out the multiple ways she had always been a light for him. He had joked that she already had the hair color of fire and eyes as bright as moonlight. Now she just has the superpowers to match her looks. Raelyn blushed as she remembered how he explained that he admired her bright personality and how she could just make everyone smile and see things in a new light….pun intended.

Unfortunately that was about all he could tell them about the legends. There wasn't much said about her besides her importance to Narnia. In hearing this she opted to wandering outside and taking some time to process all of this alone. Raelyn didn't shift from her position as she heard someone approaching from behind. She merely glanced over to see Caspian plopping himself down beside her, staring out ahead blankly like she had been. The two sat there in silence for a moment.

"Tough day?" she asked dryly.

"You could put it that way." he answered in the same tone, neither of them looking away from the field in deep thought.

I want to apologize for putting you in that situation earlier." Caspian finally spoke up, sparing a glance at her. Raelyn's brow rose in surprise and she watched him silently. Sometimes when people were distressed or lost it was best to just let them vent. And Caspian was definitely in need of a vent session.

"I seem to be failing at a lot of things recently." He muttered sourly.

"I can only spit out light from my hands when I panic….which is pretty useless." Raelyn commented thoughtfully.

"I'm supposed to be leading these people but I don't know how to do that when I'm not even sure of what I believe anymore." Caspian added, not questioning how this odd conversation was going.

"Apparently I'm a legend. Basically I'm like a candle or something." Raelyn hummed. Caspian snorted, which caused both of them to grin, effectively breaking the heaviness of their minds.

"I have heard the legends. I may not have known you for as long as the others but I believe they fit you very well." He told her honestly. Raelyn smiled at him thankfully.

"And you have the chance to become the most noble contradiction in history." Raelyn shot back. Caspian frowned in confusion.

"The Telmarine that saved Narnia…..pretty dramatic if you ask me." She grinned at him. Caspian smiled and shook his head in amusement. The two chuckled quietly, both feeling much better now that they had gotten some of their burdens off their chest. Glancing back across the field Caspian stiffened before standing up.

"What is it?" Raelyn inquired, trying to spot what had startled the boy. She squinted but managed to catch a glimpse of metal disappearing into the woods.

"We need to tell the others." Caspian informed before helping her up and dashing back into the How.

...

Once everyone had been gathered they all stood up on the ledge facing the field, now clothed in more battle ready attire. Raelyn hovered beside Edmund who had wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders as they stared at the growing Telmarine Army that had taken their place at the edge of the field.

The silver clad army marched further in to the field, pulling large catapults behind them. From the center a long line of cavalrymen emerged and fanned out across the front. Realyn and Edmund shared a worried glance. It was definitely much more advanced than their little rag tag group of Narnians inside the How. Finally a golden armored man made his way to the front, Lord Miraz, Raelyn had assumed. The Telmarines had finally brought the battle to them, and now the Narnian's needed a plan.


	22. Chapter 22

"Cakes and kettledrums…..that's your big plan?" Trumpkin asked warily, glancing around at everyone present. The main group had retreated into one of the makeshift war rooms and had been discussing the best course of action against this new threat.

"Sending a little girl into the darkest parts of the forest alone?" he continued, gesturing towards lucy for emphasis. Peter continued to stand his ground, starting at the dwarf wearily. None of them wanted this any more than he did but what other choice did they have?

"it's our only chance." He explained.

"And she won't be alone." Susan added in assurance. Trumpkin wandered over towards Lucy in distraught. Raelyn smiled inwardly as the watched the seemingly cold dwarf show his true thoughts about the humans. Despite what anyone said, he was really a big softie on the inside.

"Haven't enough of us died already?" he asked despondently.

"Nickabrik was my friend too, but he lost hope. Queen Lucy hasn't and neither have i." Trufflehunter told his friend from the other side of the room. Edmund squeezed Raelyn's hand as they listened. The sound of a small sword being drawn caught everyone's attention.

"For Aslan." Reepicheep declared, laying the sword across his shoulder. Peter gave him a thankful nod before turning back towards trumpkin. The dwarf sighed in resignation.

"Then I'm going with you." He insisted, looking towards the girl.

"No, we need you here." Lucy countered, setting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We have to hold them off until Lucy and Susan get back." Raelyn reminded quietly. Caspian looked over at her from the corner where he had been silently listening. After their little heart to heart outside he had grown even fonder of her, in more of a brotherly way. It was obvious to everyone that she was practically spoken for by the younker king. The thought of her going into battle didn't sit well with him. She deserved a chance to prepare more and work on using her gifts if possible.

"If I may." He piped up timidly. Everyone's eyes turned towards him in question.

"Miraz may be a tyrant and a murder, but as a king he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people." He explained, easing up as Peter silently let him have the floor to talk.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Raelyn asked in confusion. Caspian smirked in amusement as she blushed, not realizing she had blurt that out. Edmund wrapped an arm around her so she could bury her face into his chest in an attempt to get away from all the attention.

"There is one in particular that may buy us some time." He elaborated. Peter stared at him thoughtfully before gesturing for him to continue.

...

From the Telmarine army Lord Miraz spotted a giant, centaur, and a pair of teenagers making their way across the field towards the camp.

"Perhaps they've come to surrender." General Glozelle commented.

"No….they are much to noble for that." Miraz admitted distastefully before heading back to prepare for the groups arrival. Once they had reached the camp Edmund and Raelyn headed towards the tent where the council was waiting for them, leaving the other two outside to wait. Raelyn watched in fascination as Edmund's demeanor instantly morphed into that of a royal king, commanding respect with just his presence. She watched as the Telmarines shifted in their seats uncomfortably. In an effort to act like she belonged there she subtly tried to mimic Ed's actions. Fake it to make it right? Without a word Edmund unraveled the scroll he had brought with them and began reading it off for them.

"I Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravail, Emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to prevent the abominable spilling of blood, do hereby challenge the usurper Miraz to single combat upon the field of battle. The fight shall be to the death; the reward shall be total surrender." Edmund elegantly read in his baritone voice. Once he had finished he calmly rewound the scroll, looking to Miraz for an answer.

"Tell me Prince Edmund…."

"King." Raelyn corrected instantly. Everyone in the tent looked to her in surprise at how sharp her correction was. Realizing what she had done, Raelyn wanted to hide away behind Edmund. But knowing that it would reflect badly on them she held her ground, not making direct eye contact. Edmund smiled over at her, pleased that she had caught Miraz's subtle jab.

"Pardon me?" Miraz asked lowly, staring intensely at the girl. Edmund turned his attention to the man with a neutral expression before looking over at Raelyn. She widened her eyes in alarm, but Edmund shot her a comforting stare. Nodding she turned to face Miraz head on, her own expression becoming neutral. Handled much like royalty, so Edmund thought.

"It's King Edmund actually. Just King though, Peter is the High King." She evenly explained. Miraz and his advisors in the tent glanced at one another in confusion.

"I know it's confusing." Edmund quipped with a shrug.

"Why would you risk such a proposal when our armies could wipe you out with nothing?" Miraz asked smugly. Edmund glanced around at the group.

"Haven't you already underestimated our numbers?" he challenged.

"I mean only a week ago Narnian's were extinct." Ed politely added, keeping it civil as royalty should.

"And so you will be again." Miraz growled.

"Well then you have nothing to fear." Edmund easily commented, pleased with how Miraz was becoming defensive.

"This is not a question of bravery." Miraz countered with a chuckle.

"On the contrary, you seem to be bravely refusing to fight a swordsman half your age. If this wasn't a question of bravery then what reasons do you have to refuse?" Raelyn challenged. Miraz glowered at the girl.

"Who are you anyway, girl." He spat with a growl. Edmund stiffened but didn't move.

"That shall be addressed at a later time, now if you could please clear up this problem of your refusal?" she icily requested, becoming more irritated with the man than afraid. Edmund rose a brow at her sudden burst of confidence, not that he was displeased with how she was handling herself at all.

"I didn't say I refused." Miraz bristled.

"You shall have our support your majesty, whatever your decision." A Telmarine piped up from beside him. Miraz glared.

"Sire, our military advantage alone provides the excuse to avoid…." Another agreed but Miraz abruptly stood, drawing his sword.

"I'm not avoiding anything." He growled defensively.

"I was merely pointing out that my lord was well within his rights to refuse." The man amended nervously.

"His majesty would never refuse. He relishes the chance to show the courage of their new king." General Glozelle countered. Miraz glanced over at him, obviously nervous of the pressure being put on him. Raelyn and Edmund shared a knowing glance.

"You…" Miraz pointed his sword at Ed threateningly. Raelyn stiffened and held her hands tingle ever so slightly but nothing more as she watched carefully.

"You should hope that your King's sword is sharper than his pen." He growled at the teens. Edmund nodded his head silently before placing a hand on Raelyn's back and leading her out.


	23. Chapter 23

After gathering their full party to head back, Raelyn let out a shuddering breath. Edmund smiled and pulled her closer to him.

"You did brilliantly." He praised sincerely beaming down at her. Raelyn smiled weakly up at him.

"I feel like being sick. Did you really have to do that back in your ruling days?" she inquired looking up at him curiously, enjoying being wrapped up in his arms. Edmund shrugged.

"Sometimes. After a while you get used to it." He dismissed. Raelyn nodded thoughtfully, she definitely was not cut out for that type of stress.

"So what happens now" she asked.

"Well we have until tomorrow to start preparing just in case." Edmund explained, his face falling a bit.

"Are you worried?" Edmund scoffed.

"What would I be worried about?" he shrugged off but Raelyn smiled knowingly.

"Worried about Peter tomorrow." Edmund chuckled, realizing she knew him better than he originally thought. He tugged her closer to his side.

"Part of me believes that he will be just fine. He's a brilliant warrior and we only need to do this until we can get Aslan…" he began staring down at the ground as they walked across the field.

"But.." she prodded, nudging his ribs gently. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"…but it's a battle with swords and it's to the death. Its real and I won't be able to have his back in this one." Edmund admitted, worried for his brother's safety. Raelyn pulled them to a halt just outside of the entrance and wrapped her arms around his midsection. Without hesitation Edmund returned the embrace, burying his nose into his hair.

"I'm sure everything will be alright." She told him seriously, burying her own face into his chest. Edmund chuckled, getting her to grin as his chest rumbled beneath her.

"Is this your abilities?" he inquired. Raelyn rolled her eyes and smacked him on the chest, earing another chuckle.

"No, I just have confidence in all of you. And I trust that Aslan would protect you all, based on everything you have told me." She grinned, leaning back to look up at him. Edmund returned the grin before leaning down to steal another kiss. Raelyn giggled at the suddenness of it, kissing him back. As they pulled away Raelyn blushed, still not used to the affection. Edmund grinned even wider, his heart warming at the sight and pulled her close to press a kiss to her temple.

"Well let's start getting prepared then. We have a long night of training ahead of us." He suggested, guiding her back inside. Raelyn frowned.

"We?" she asked.

"Yes, you didn't think you were getting out of anything did you? And I think we should work on these new abilities of yours just to be safe." He pointed out.

"Are you sure? I can just go off by myself and experiment with it. I wouldn't want to take you away from your duties." She muttered, fiddling with her fingers. She didn't like being a hindrance and would put the good of the Narnians above her own comfort if needed.

"Ray trust me, I want to help and I would rather be with you than anyone else here anyway." He assured, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly.

"Ed!" she gasped, smacking him on the shoulder. Edmund barked out a laugh as he tried to avoid her assault. He reached out and managed to grab her hands, yanking her towards his chest once again. Glancing around to make sur no one was looking he stole a kiss from her. She smiled up at him fondly.

"Alright enough fooling around." He mock scolded, tugging her after him deeper into the How. Raelyn scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh of course, because I'm the one who's distracted." She quipped sarcastically. Edmund playfully glared at her as they trotted down the hallways.

"You're cheeky you know." He mused, pleased that she was comfortable enough to loosen up. Raelyn grinned and shrugged innocently.

"I know." She rushed forward to peck him on the cheek before dashing off ahead, Edmund racing closely behind her.


	24. Chapter 24

Down in the How, Caspian was helping with some last minute adjustments on the saddle of his black horse, which was being lent to Lucy and Susan. Nearby Edmund was standing with Raelyn who has atop a white unicorn, to her delight. She had been way to excited about getting to ride a unicorn, at least in Edmund's mind. Still he found her happiness in the simple things quite endearing. As he was still hesitant to put her on the front lines it had been suggested that she ride with his sisters in search of Aslan while Peter bought them time with the duel. Everyone was solemnly quiet as the reality of the situation sunk in for them.

"Destrier has always served me well. You are in good hands." Caspian told the Pevensie sisters, or more specifically Susan.

"Or hooves." Raelyn muttered under her breath. Edmund snorted in amusement, drawing the attention of the others. The two of them looked away in sheepishly and pretended to be busy stroking Raelyn's stallion. They shared a small grin before watching Caspian and Susan with interest. The Telmarine Prince adjusted one last strap before looking up at the older sister worriedly. Lucy turned her head towards Ed and Raelyn, sharing a grin with the ladder. Edmund mock gagged and turned away. He was already uncomfortable with how Caspian was comfortable with Raelyn and now the boy was flirting with his sister.

"Good luck." Caspian told her with all seriousness.

"Thanks" Susan told him tensely. Caspian's eyes shot down in disappointment. Quickly covering it up he reached down and untied the white horn at his waist.

"Maybe it's time you had this back." He insisted, handing it to her. A small smile slipped onto Susan's lips as she looked down at him.

"Why don't you hang onto it. You may need to call me again." She told him shyly. Raelyn's brow shot up and she bit her lip in amusement. Ed groaned silently, rolling his eyes at her attempted flirting back. He flinched away with a grin as Raelyn nudged him with her foot, trying to scold him. Caspian grinned and stepped back, signaling their time to leave. Edmund followed after pressing a kiss to Realyn's hand. The three girls set off down the tunnel, leading the back way out of the How. After a few moments Lucy spoke up.

"You might need to call me again?" she asked incredulously. Susan's face instantly soured.

"Oh shut up." She quipped, trying to tune out the snickers from the other two. Susan turned accusingly to Raelyn.

"You have no room to laugh. I saw you snogging my brother when we first walked in." she pointed out. Raelyn instantly blushed madly. She and Ed had gotten to the horses early and were merely kissing when the others came down. At the sound of the new voices they had lept apart, hoping that no one had noticed. Due to the lack of anyone mentioning it, Raelyn had assumed they didn't.

"What?!" Lucy squealed excitedly at this new revelation. Raelyn stuttered, trying to redeem herself but couldn't form the words.

"Don't worry Ray. We all knew it would happen eventually." Lucy cut in smugly. Raelyn's eyes bulged.

"You…what?" she squeaked, but it was ignored as now the two sisters were happily giggling at her expense. Eventually Raelyn grinned, not bothered that they knew.

...

Back at the How the roar of cheers could be heard all throughout the battlefield as Peter appeared in the entryway. With Edmund at his side he proudly made his way towards the small pavilion used as dueling grounds near the center of the field. As they progressed towards the Telmarine opponents, the shouts of the Narnians grew even louder as the cheered on their King. As they approached, Miraz stared nervously from his chair that had been placed near the platform. He scrutinized the teens that were making their way over, not showing an ounce of worry. The air of royalty that oozed out of both of them was unsettling and he was beginning to rethink this decision.

As the Narnian royals reached their own side, Glenstorm bowed his head respectively as she served as one of Peter's guards at the duel. Miraz fidgeted with his own armor, turning towards his own group of advisors that had joined him.

"If it should appear to be going badly….." he trailed off and gestured towards the crossbow in General Glozelle's hands. The message went without being said. If it was going badly….kill the boy.

"Understood your majesty." He murmured reluctantly. What Miraz didn't see was the subtle glance Glozelle sent to the others that were with him, creating their own silent plan.

Once the Peter and Ed had reached the stone platform, Peter reached over and unsheathed the sword in Edmund's hand. A loud roar rose up from the Narnians behind them.

...

Miraz reached over and snatched his helmet and facemask from one of the men beside him.

"I hope you won't be disappointed when I survive." He sneered and reached over to pull out his own sword.

...

The two rulers slowly walked towards the center, analyzing one another as they did. Edmund fidgeted nervously from his spot at the edge, fretting for his brother and girlfriend. He knew Peter was capable but it was still nerve wracking to know that he couldn't do anything to protect his brother right now, it was all up to Peter. Meanwhile Raelyn was out somewhere in the woods where he couldn't reach her if anything happened.

"There is still time to surrender." Miraz quipped. Peter glared at the man, undeterred by the taunts.

"Well feel free." He countered cooly.

"How many more must die for the throne?" Miraz asked in mock sympathy, hoping to distract the younger king.

"Just….one." Peter told him, lowering his faceguard. The two squared off and in an instant they ran full force at one another. Peter lept up onto a fallen pillar, launching himself at Miraz. They both let out battle cries as they swung their weapons at one another. Two swords met in the middle with a clang and the warriors landed on opposing sides, preparing for the next attack.

...

Meanwhile deep in the woods, Susan led the way as she led Destrier into a full gallop. Lucy held tightly to her middle, keeping an eye out for Alsan while Raelyn rode close behind. Suddenly a distant whinny and shouting was heard from behind. Raelyn shot her head that direction, spotting a group of enemy soldiers up on a ridge, heading towards them.

'They've seen us." Raelyn warned, speeding her horse up closer. Susan glanced back and spurred her own steed faster. The two girls led their horses into a full gallop, hoping to lose the Telmarines. However they continued to track them. Coming to a clearing in the woods, Susan stopped her horse and hoped down off of him. Raelyn who had continued for a few steps quickly turned around.

"Susan I thought we were supposed to be running?" she asked in confusion, looking towards the woods for any sign of enemy soldiers.

"Take the reins." Susan instructed, handing the leather to Lucy who stared at her incredulously.

"What are you doing?" she asked in alarm.

"I'm sorry Lucy, but looks like I won't be joining you." Susan told her calmly, not wanting to worry her sister. Raelyn bit her lip, conflicted as to where she should go.

"I'll stay with you, help buy more time." She suggested but Susan quickly stopped her.

"No, I need you to stay with Lucy." She instructed. Raelyn was unsure but nodded in understanding. Nodding in appreciation Susan slapped Destier's flank, sending him forward with Lucy on his back. Raelyn quickly took off behind the girl, ensuring that she was in the front. Once the two were gone and out of range, Susan pulled out her bow and arrows. She swiftly notched one in and pulled the string, poised to take down any soldiers that came into her path. Susan stood in the silence, waiting mere moments until hoof-beats could be heard.


	25. Chapter 25

Back at the battlefield Peter and Miraz's duel continued on in a brutal fight, both kings getting in damaging blows. Edmund watched from the sidelines as the young king barely dodged a swipe to his neck and swung his own weapon low, cutting across Miraz's thigh. The man grunted in pain, giving Peter a second to collect his breath. Miraz frantically looked to his advisors behind Peter, urging them to take action. However, none of them moved. Peter growled before lunging at the wounded man. Miraz skillfully swept Peter's feet out from under him, causing him to flip over and land on his back painfully before scrambling back up to his feet. The two lunged at each other once more, blocking the blows with their shields until Miraz knocked him down again. Taking in a moment of weakness, he harshly stepped down on the edge of Peter's shield which was buckled to his arm. Peter shouted out in pain as his shoulder twisted backwards painfully. Edmund grimaced, unable to do anything. Still wincing in pain Peter swung his good arm up at Miraz to get him to step back off his arm. Once he was free Peter rolled out of the way while Miraz attempted to stab him. With series of rolls Peter skillfully deflected the blows until he was against another fallen pillar. Thinking quickly, he knocked Miraz's shield as the man ran towards him knocking him off balance and sending him to the ground instead. Peter quickly scrambled up. The sound of a horse caught his attention and Peter glanced up to see Susan and Caspian heading back towards them but no Lucy or Raelyn. Noticing his curious glance Miraz spoke up.

"Does his highness need a respite?" he spat, trying to act like he didn't need one himself.

"5 minutes?" Peter suggested with a grunt.

"Three." Miraz countered stubbornly. The two of them painfully stood up straight and struggled to keep their breathing even in an attempt to save their pride. Once they were out of view, each proceeded to limp to their designated side.

"Lucy? Ray?" Peter asked worriedly as he walked over to Susan and Caspian who had approached.

"They got through." Susan assured, shooting a meaningful look towards Edmund. The boy sighed in relief.

"With a little help." She added, glancing up at Caspian.

"Thanks." Peter told him, relief evident in his eyes.

"Well you were busy." Caspian quipped.

"You better get up there, just in case. I don't expect the Telmarines will keep to their word." Peter suggested to Susan. Edmund was quiet as he glanced back towards the woods. He was sure Raelyn was going to be just fine, but he was still nervous for her. Susan nodded before reaching up to hug Peter, accidently causing him to gasp in pain.

"Sorry." She muttered.

"It's alright." He assured with a pained smile.

"Be careful." She warned, looking to both of her brothers. Meanwhile Edmund had been glancing around and spotted some wary expressions from the Narnians.

"Keep smiling." Ed urged as he glanced between the Narnians and his brother. Taking his advice Peter looked over at his army and beamed proudly, holding up his sword. It worked as they had hoped; the Narnians cheering triumphantly. Peter quickly sat down while Caspian helped to pull off his shield. Peter still yelped in pain as it was pried off his shoulder.

"I think it's dislocated." He told them, clutching at his arm. Edmund quickly rushed over and started prodding the joint.

"What do you think happens back home….. if you die here?" Peter suddenly asked, throwing Ed off guard for a moment. He paused as Peter turned to glance back at him. Edmund didn't know how to respond to that.

"You know you've always been there and I've never really…" Peter cried out in pain as Edmund quickly popped his shoulder back into socket, ending the heartfelt speech. He gasped out in pain as the throbbing began to lessen.

"Just save it for later." Edmund told him sternly as he scurried to grab his brother's sword. Taking the hint Peter reached over and took it from him, but dismissed his helmet. Seeing this Miraz also refused his helmet and the two began walking back to the middle once more.

...

Lucy and Raelyn powered through the forest looking for the ever-elusive lion. Raelyn continued to let Lucy take the lead as she would have no idea what to look for. Was there just one lion or a whole bunch and this one stood out. Edmund did say he talked, but so did a lot of other animals in Narnia apparently. As her mind ran ramped with these thoughts her eye caught movement off to the side. Taking a better look she frowned, seeing a blur of yellowish white running parallel to them across the gorge. Raelyn didn't want to be overly paranoid so she continued watching in curiosity. Suddenly a patch between the trees revealed the form of a huge lion.

"Lu!" Raelyn warned in alarm, not used to seeing such a creature. At her shout the lion looked their way and decided to make his way over. Both girls stopped their horses as the lion crossed the gorge in a single bound, landing in front of their path. At the sudden appearance both horses were started and Raelyn, not having any reigns or saddle slipped off her stallion. Lucy quickly got control of Destrier and gracefully hopped down, rushing towards the lion.

"Aslan!" she cheered in delight, reaching her arms around his neck and nuzzling into his mane. Raelyn's eyes widened curiously as the lion chuckled with a deep, booming voice and seemed to wrap his paw around her in a hug. Unsure of how to handle the situation Raelyn hid behind her unicorn, peering around the horse curiously. Lucy broke away from the hug and looked around for her friend, eventually spotting the head of red hair behind the stallion.

"Raelyn this is Aslan, come on there's nothing to worry about." Lucy assured, waving the girl to come closer. Raelyn nervously bit her lip but made her way towards the two, eyeing the giant lion warily.

"Don't be afraid child, I don't bite." Aslan assured her, his deep voice creating a wave of calm. She couldn't quite explain how it did but it was nice, getting a rush of care and protection just from the sound of his voice.

"It's nice to finally meet you…um sir?...I've heard a lot about you from the others." Raelyn greeted quietly. How do you acknowledge an all powerful lion? His name, sir, your lion-kinglyness?

"I have been awaiting your arrival for some time now young one. But I'm afraid our introduction must be cut short. There is still much for you to learn and little time to do so. The others need your assistance." Aslan told Raelyn seriously. The girl's eyes widened in alarm.

"Me?! Aslan I can hardly manage any powers I seem to have, and I don't even know the full scope of them yet. I can't help." She rambled worriedly. Aslan smiled knowingly at her.

"I know child, that is part of why I am here." He assured her. Raelyn looked over to Lucy who was just as confused as she was. However she could see that Lucy had full faith in the lion, so she guessed it wouldn't hurt for her to have some faith too.

"Ok, what do I do?" Raelyn asked, building up some determination.

"Trust me." He told her calmly before breathing onto her face. Raelyn flinched at the feel but it was cast aside as a powerful feeling surged through her body. Her mind went blank and her vision black as the feeling intensified.


	26. Chapter 26

Miraz landed another blow to Peter's chest with his shield and Peter pushed away from him. He steeled himself as Miraz went to attack him again and grabbed the shield. It was now down to a test of pure strength. The two men groaned at the toll it took on their already sore muscles. Thinking quickly, Peter twisted his body around, still holding the shield, so that Miraz's arm became bent painfully behind his back. He now had the advantage, but Miraz wasn't done yet. The older man lifted his arm and thrusted it backwards, his armored elbow colliding with Peter's nose. Peter had no choice but to release his hold as the pain shot up and down his face. Miraz dropped the shield and threw Peter into another pile of rock before rushing over to grab his sword that was on the ground. He ran at Peter and swung down desperately, but Peter was too quick and jumped out of the way.

Using his metal arm guards, he deflected the sword and punched Miraz in his bandaged leg. With him not having any weapons or shields, Peter had to become a bit more creative in order to end this duel. Miraz stumbled back in immense pain and begged for a respite. The roar of the Narnian army could be heard as they watched the enemy king fall to his knees in submission. The duel was basically over in everyone's eyes. Peter hovered over the man warily, unsure of what to do with him now.

"Now is not the time for chivalry Peter." Edmund called out to his brother. Peter glanced over at his brother and remained standing above the fallen man, deciding what the right course of action should be. A silence fell over both armies as they waited to see what was to happen. He could take advantage and kill the man, but then again what was the point of killing him. Peter wasn't one that took a life outside of the field of battle, it was unnecessary. Peter looked down at the beaten man and dropped his fist. With a shake of his head he turned his back and began to walk away. It was over and there was no point in taking another life.

However, Miraz wasn't one to play by the rules, and he definitely wasn't one that liked to lose. Once Peter was a couple steps away he grabbed his sword and stood up to chase after him.

"Look out!" Caspian shouted in warning just as Miraz raised his weapon. Peter whipped around and ducked out of the way of the blade that was aimed for his head. Miraz struck at him again and Peter grabbed the sword, twirled it out of his hands, and spun around to stab him in the side all in one graceful motion. Miraz gasped in pain as the blade penetrated the hole in his armor. Peter stood up straight and pulled the sword out of the man, letting Miraz fall to his knees. Peter once again stood in front of the beaten man, with his life in his hands.

"What's the matter boy? Too cowardly to take a life?" Miraz asked him tauntingly. Peters eyes widened in slight surprise at the man's daring tone.

"It's not mine to take." He answered pointedly and turned to face Caspian. The two locked eyes and Peter held out the end of the sword to him invitingly. If anyone had a right to kill Miraz it was him and Peter recognized that. Caspian fixed a glare on Miraz as he walked forward and took the sword from Peter's outstretched hand. With a nod he walked away, picked up his own sword that had fallen earlier, and stood next to his brother. They waited anxiously to see what Caspian would do, he had every right to take the life, but would it be the right thing to do in the whole scope of things? Caspian slowly raised the sword above Miraz and guided the edge to point at his heart.

"Perhaps I was wrong, maybe you do have the makings of a Telmarine king after all." Miraz commented bitterly, staring up at his nephew with a blank expression. He bowed his head in surrender and awaited the fatal blow. With a loud shout Caspian thrusted the sword in a downward motion. However, it became planted in the patch of grass at Miraz's feet. Miraz stared at the weapon before lifting his head to look up at Caspian questioningly.

"Not one like you." He spat at the man.

"Keep your life, but I am giving the Narnains back their kingdom." Caspian informed Miraz with a hard glare. The man said nothing but turned his gaze back to the ground. Caspian level a look with Sospean and General Glozelle who stood behind the king in shock, before turning back to walk over next to the royals. Glenstorm nodded in respect to the prince and raised his sword up to declare victory. This sent the Narnians into a victorious uproar.

Unfortunately, the battle wasn't over as they thought. The four of them whipped back around at the sound of a pained shout and thudding. Their eyes widened in alarm as they potted Miraz lying dead on the ground with a red finned arrow sticking out of his back. The advisor closest to him shouted frantically.

"Treachery! They shot him! they killed our king!" he claimed and grabbed the sword before dashing back to his troops. At the announcement General Glozelle had already mounted his horse and was readying the Telmarines for battle.

"Be ready!" Peter instructed and all the Narnians prepared themselves for the battle to come.

...

The two armies raced towards each other. One above ground, while the other remained below to implement their element of surprise. A horn blew below Peter and Edmund signaling the countdown.

"One….two…" Peter murmured under his breath.

"Three…four…." Caspian counted off from underneath.

"…five…six." Edmund continued as they watched the enemy draw nearer across the field.

"Take your aim!" Susan instructed as the countdown reached seven.

"Stay with them!" Trumpkin chimed in.

"….eight….nine…..Get ready!" Peter shouted in warning to his own troops behind him.

"Now!" Caspian ordered from the group underground. On his command, the soldiers with them swiftly knocked out the pillars around them, collapsing the ground above them. The brothers watched as the ground just in front of them collapsed, dragging down most of the Calvary with it.

"Now!" Susan commanded, and the archers let loose their arrows to fall into their targets who were stuck in the pit. As the arrows pelted the soldiers who were scrambling to climb up, Edmund leapt onto a horse who was running next to him and charged into battle.

"Charge!" Peter shouted as he raced after his brother to lead the army.


	27. Chapter 27

Once the trees had gotten involved in the battle, to which everyone attributed to Lucy and Raelyn finding Aslan, the enemy called for a retreat and the Narnian army followed afterthem to the river of Berona. As they cleared the woods they stopped to see the Telmarine army staring at a figure on the other end of the bridge. Lucy stood alone before the army and whipped out her dagger. The Telmarines fidgeted as they looked back and forth to the river and bridge before them and the Narnian army behind them. Suddenly a large lion appeared beside Lucy. The two stood in eerie silence before glancing at the trees behind them. Everyone followed their gaze and suddenly a bright light shot out from the forest, causing them to shield their eyes. Despite it being daylight, this new light source was staggering. Soon after it appeared, the light dimmed and allowed for both armies to get a good look at what had happened. Edmund's jaw dropped at the sight before them. Within the still pulsing orb of beautiful blue light was Raelyn. However, she seemed much more ethereal than normal. In this form, her silver eyes were pulsing the same blue light that was emitting from the rest of her. Her red hair was swirling around her as if she were underwater and she was…..hovering? Glancing down he saw that her feet didn't quite touch the ground. Edmund stared at her in awe and at the same time in slight fear. This was something he had never seen before and wasn't sure what to make of it. Obviously, he wasn't the only one. Peter, Caspian, and Susan, along with the rest of the Narnian army, were dumbfounded as to how the sweet shy girl they knew had become this powerful, and commanding being. Ethereal Raelyn narrowed he eyes at the generals of the Telmarines before producing glowing orbs of light in her hands, seemingly daring them to act. After a moment of deliberating silence Lord Sopespian raised a battle cry of 'charge' and raced across the bridge towards the group on the other side.

With a smirk Raelyn lifted herself up and with a mere raise of her hand she began circling the Telmarines in a ring of fire. The men stared in fear as they frantically searched for a loophole, but the ring stood fast. The Narnians behind them watched curiously as the flames didn't move from their position. With a loud rumble they watched as the small orbs in her hands grew. She flung one towards the river, creating a tidal wave that rushed towards those who had reached the river outside of the ring. The men quickly rushed to scramble away from the deadly waters and back to shore, some already washing downstream by the force of the waters. However, Sopespian wasn't deterred and tried to make it across the bridge anyway. Spotting his persistence Raelyn calmly shot a light from her hands, creating a laser that sliced through the bridge like butter. Sopespianpulled on the reins of his horse as the bridge before him was shattered. In a moment of fear he quickly turned back around only for the beam to slice through that half of the bridge as well. Now trapped on the small patch of bridge he fidgeted nervously, completely at the girl's mercy. Raelyn glanced to Aslan, as if asking permission. The lion nodded.

With the go-ahead the girl threw another ball of light just under the small platform, causing it to shoot into the air. She quickly rose up with it and produced another glowing ball in her hand. Sopespian stared at her with wide eyes, knowing that he couldn't escape. He yelled in fear as Raelyn threw the ball at him, engulfing the platform in another burst of blinding light. Everyone on shore blinked as it faded and glanced around, only to see a now calm river with bits of logs floating down it. No trace of Sopespian anywhere.

With this the Telmarines conceded defeat and the Narnian's took charge of relieving them of their weapons.


	28. Chapter 28

As their warriors were busy Susan, Edmund, Peter, and Caspian waded across to meet with Aslan, Lucy, and Raelyn on the other side. As they made it to the other shore the ethereal version of Raelyn gently landed next to them. In the blink of an eye all the light died out from around her and she stumbled. Edmund instantly reached over and caught her in his arms, frowning down at her worriedly.

"You alright?" he inquired quietly. Raelyn blinked heavily for a moment before glancing around at the worried expressions of her friends. She looked up at Edmund and grinned.

"Well that was a rush." She chuckled weakly. Edmund beamed and leaned down to kiss her on the lips, much to the surprise of Peter and Caspian who gaped at the two.

"That was awesome." Edmund commented as they broke apart. Raelyn giggled and they turned back to the group, finally realizing that not everyone was aware of their new relationship. Raelyn blushed heavily and turned to bury her face in Edmund's neck who was just as red as she was. Peter stared at his brother with an expression that screamed, 'what did I miss?'. Edmund grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Um Raelyn and I are kinda…you know…together now." He explained. Peter nodded numbly, still unsure as to when this all went down. He figured it would happen eventually but the way he found out was a bit of a shock. Finally pulling her face out of her hiding spot Raelyn turned, spotting Aslan watching the group quietly with an almost amused expression. Following her stare, they all knelt down before the lion in reverence.

"Rise Kings and Queens of Narnia." The deep baritone of his voice called to them. The siblings all stood up with small smiled at seeing him again. However, the other two remained, unsure of what they were supposed to do.

"All of you" Aslan added, staring down at them. The duo looked up and around in confusion.

"I do not think I am ready." Caspian countered honestly.

"It's for that very reason, I know you are." Aslan assured. Caspian nodded and reluctantly stood along with them. But there was still one more to deal with. Raelyn fidgeted with her fingers as she remained kneeling before them. Looking up after a moment of silence she stared at them awkwardly.

"I know that I'm not a Queen." She pointed out with a shrug. The siblings and Caspian looked to Aslan who was watching the girl with a knowing grin.

"No, you are not…." He agreed. Raelyn nodded in slight disappointment.

"..but how do you feel about an Enchantress?" he continued. At this she perked up, grinning madly.

"Really?" she gasped in surprise. Aslan nodded.

"Enchantress of Light is the official title that has been bestowed upon you since the beginning." He assured her. Raelyn grinned in excitement and rushed up to hug the lion, earning a chuckle from him. Straightening back up she proudly made her way to join the others, intertwining her hand with Edmund who was just as happy for her.

...

The moment was broken when a sorrowful tune was heard from behind them. Peter and Caspian stepped aside to reveal a group of mice carrying Reepicheep on a stretcher towards the lion, playing the tune on small horns. As the mouse was set down, Lucy rushed to his side and dropped some of her Fire Flower juice into his mouth. They watched silently as he took in a deep breath before lifting his head.

"Oh thank you your majesty." He gushed at Lucy and stood up with some help from the others. Raelyn gasped placing her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening as she spotted an anomaly with the mouse. However, Reepicheep took no notice as he was currently enthralled with the lion in before of him.

"Oh! Hail Aslan! It is a great honor to be in…" he trailed off as he stumbled when he leaned forward in a bow. Reepicheep looked behind and jumped in shock to see that his tail had been cut short.

"….and completely out of countenance." He hurriedly hid his lack of tail in mortification.

"I must apologize to his indulgence for appearing in this unseeingly fashion." He continued as the others watched with mild amusement at how flustered he was.

"He uses an awful lot of big posh words, doesn't he?" Raelyn murmured under her breath to Edmund. Ed grinned and nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps a drop more?" the mouse turned to Lucy pleadingly.

"I don't think it does that." She told him apologetically.

"You can give it a go." He pressed eagerly. Aslan chuckled, grabbing Reepicheep's attention.

"It becomes you well small one." He told the mouse. Raelyn bit her lip so as not to grin at the mouse's subtly horrified expression in response to that comment.

"All the same great king, but I regret that I must withdraw. A tail is the honor and glory of a mouse." He told the lion, laying down his small sword.

"Perhaps you think too much of your honor, friend." Aslan pointed out knowingly. Reepicheep sputtered for a moment and quickly backtracked.

"Well it's not just for honor. It's also great for balance, and climbing, and grabbing things." He hurriedly amended. Everyone smiled down at him in amusement. It was not often the mouse became flustered and at a loss for words.

"If it's the all the same your majesty, we will not bear an honor denied our chief." One of the mice behind him spoke up; the others holding swords to their tails, fully prepared to chop them off. Raelyn and the others looked to Aslan curiously to see how he would answer that.

"Not for the sake of your dignity, but for the love of your people." Raelyn's eyes widened in wonder as the stub grew into a full-length tail, looking as if he never lost it in the first place. Reepicheep seemed to notice the change and laughed in delight, grabbing it and eagerly showing off his new tail to everyone.

"Thank you, my liege!" he exclaimed with a bow.

"I will remember this always. From this day forward, it will serve as a great reminder of my huge humility." He declared. Raelyn snorted into her hand, Edmund quickly grabbing her to muffle the sound as he held back his own amusement. Huge humility indeed. Aslan grinned and turned to the humans.

"Now, where is this dear little friend you've told me so much about?" he inquired. They all turned to look at the dwarf who was helping gather weapons. Hearing his nickname, Trumpkin sheepishly turned to face the group and made his way over. He shuffled nervously before bowing before the lion he so openly mocked. Aslan let out a mighty roar, startling the man.

"Do you see him now?" Lucy asked him jokingly. Trumpkin sighed in reluctance but nodded slightly as everyone laughed.


	29. Chapter 29

The next day the townspeople had come out to greet the Kings and Queens of old along with their new ruler and the enchantress. Caspian led the procession with his crown atop his head. Peter trailed behind, in a blue tunic alongside Susan who sported a red and yellow gown. Edmund wore a leather vest as he rode alongside Lucy in baby pink and Raelyn in a deep raspberry colored dress. The rest of the Narnians joined the parade as the Telmarines welcomed the once legendary creatures. They rode their way through town, heading towards the castle. Raelyn grinned, taking in the whole experience. Edmund shot a glance and smiled fondly at her. He doubted she would ever tire of Narnia and all it had to offer.

That night there was a grand ball in celebration of the new era for the land. In the corner of the room Edmund admired the redhead with a content smile on his face. He quite liked the way her hair was curled and then pinned back with a delicate white flower crown. It accented her simple but regal gown that flowed around her. The radiance of the ensemble suited her personality. Warm and bright but still retaining childlike innocence. It was stunning.

"So you and Ray huh? When did that come about?" Peter inquired, coming to stand beside his brother. The two kept their gaze one their sisters and Ray who were mingling at the other end of the hall. Edmund grinned as he thought back to their first kiss in the How.

"Well I think I've always fancied her. And after the whole witch scare it just kinda….happened." he explained in embarrassment. Peter quirked a brow, watching his brother's reaction.

"You kissed her first didn't you?" he asked knowingly. Edmund blushed, taking away from the scowl that he shot his brother.

"Maybe. But she kissed back and that's what counts." He pointed out, not about to let peter get to him. Peter chuckled.

"I like her for you. She keeps you humble." He told his brother semi seriously.

"Thanks." Edmund grinned, glad his brother approved. Peter was the one he knew would be on the fence about this relationship. Susan and Lucy adored Raelyn and had been hinting around about Ed's feelings for a while now. Peter nodded and nudged his brother forward.

"Go ask her to dance." He insisted. Ed rolled his eyes but went anyway, not needing to be told twice.

...

Raelyn was smiling as she listened to the conversation between the sisters and some other Narnians. She was only halfway paying attention as her eyes scanned the crowd for a particular face.

"Sorry to intrude." A deep voice spoke up from behind her. Raelyn beamed as she whirled around to face a very handsome looking Edmund Pevensie.

"Dance with me." Edmund requested, holding his hand out to Raelyn as he bowed. Raelyn blushed at how romantic it all was, but then again it was normal for this time period in Narnia. Or maybe just normal for Ed. He two ignored the smug stares of the group around her.

"Of course." She whispered, taking his hand and intertwining it with her own. Edmund smiled gently before leading her off to the dance floor, tucking Raelyn closer to himself. She contentedly held onto his arm, taking in all the décor of the castle.

"I warn you, I don't really know how to dance like this." she admitted sheepishly.

"Don't worry, I've got you." He assured, swinging her around so he could wrap his arms around her. The two took their place on the floor, Edmund gently guiding her into proper form before slowly swaying to the music. Raelyn bit her lip as she glanced down every so often so as not to trip on her dress. How did people manage in these long things? A warm finger tilted her chin up and she her gaze locked with a pair of warm brown eyes. Ed smiled down at her, taking a moment to drink in her delicate features.

"Do you trust me?" he asked her quietly.

"Of course." She insisted quickly. Edmund softly pulled her in tighter.

"Then just look at me, don't worry about everything else. I'll guide you." He explained with a soft smile. Raelyn blushed, biting her lip as she nodded. Without looking down once she stared right back at Edmund adoringly as he whisked them across the dancefloor with grace she didn't even know he possessed. The world melted away as the two of them moved in sync with one another, Raelyn easily following his movements. As the song came to a close, Edmund gingerly lent in to press a soft kiss to her lips and pulled away after a second. Raelyn grinned as she opened her eyes, love shining in them. Edmund reciprocated the grin and went in for another kiss. This caused her to giggle.

"Oh come on." He sighed in mock frustration. Edmund watched in amusement as she tried to contain her laughter.

"I'm sorry, you're just so eager." She teased in amusement. Ed shrugged.

"I like kissing you, what's so bad about that?" he asked her with a smirk. Raelyn grinned, leaning upwards so her lips were hovering above his own.

"Nothing….I like kissing you too." She whispered alluringly. His brow rose as she focused his eyes on her intently. Before he could respond Raelyn quickly closed the gap, initiating a much longer and sweeter kiss.


	30. Chapter 30

The following morning, Caspian made his way out of the castle in search of the royals. In one of the corridors he spotted Peter and Susan walking alongside Aslan as they conversed. He paused, noticing the sad expressions on their faces. Thinking it was best to leave them be he turned but was only able to make it a few steps before being caught.

"Your majesty?" Aslan asked. Caspian turned back to see all of them looking at him curiously. He was worried about the unreadable expressions on the older Pevensie's faces but continued anyway.

"We are ready, everyone has assembled." He informed the lion after a moment. Aslan nodded before continuing their discussion quietly and following after the new king. The group made their way to the edge of the citadel where the others were waiting for them. Raelyn was holding hands with Edmund as they stood beside Lucy, waiting by the two twisted trees that sat on the edge of the wall. Once Peter and Susan had joined their siblings and friend, the meeting for the people began.

"Narnia belongs to the Narnains as much as it does to any man. Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers." Caspian explained to the crowd before him. The people began to mutter amongst themselves at the last statement.

"It's been generations since we left Telmar." A man spoke up.

"We're not referring to Telmar. Your ancestors were seafarers. Pirates run aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare cavern that brought them here from their world. The same world as our Kings and Queens…and the young Enchantress." Aslan elaborated, gesturing to the 5 off to the side. Raelyn glanced at the other four in surprise. She was a bit relieved to see that they were just as confused as she was.

"Was that the cave we came from?" she asked Ed quietly. The boy kept his eyes on Aslan and shrugged. There were still some things about this place that even he didn't know.

"It is to that island that I can return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start." The lion continued. The people stood in silence before someone spoke up.

"I will go. I accept the offer." General Glozelle announced from his spot amidst the crowd, stepping forward.

"So will we." Caspian's Aunt added, alongside her aging father and her new son. Caspian stared at the two unsurely but he wouldn't say anything against them if they were hoping for a fresh start. He didn't blame them.

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good." Aslan told them as they approached. He breathed gently over the group before turning to the trees. Loud gasps were heard as everyone watches the trees unwind to form a hole in between the two. Slowly the group made their way into the tree.

Raelyn's eyes bugged along with everyone else as they disappeared without a trace once they stepped over the trunks. Subtly she snuck behind Edmund so she could look behind the wall, making sure there wasn't something she missed. Edmund chuckled in amusement at her antics before tugging her back to his side. Raelyn blushed and held onto his arm.

"How do we know he is not leading us to our death?" someone shouted in alarm.

"Sire, if my example could be of any service I can take eleven mice through with no delay." Reepicheep volunteered from beside Aslan. However, Peter and Susan shared a knowing glance as Aslan looked towards the group of royals.

"We'll go." Peter announced quietly. The younger three looked over at him in shock.

"We will?" Raelyn asked unsurely. She didn't want to go, she just got here.

"Come on. Our time is up." Peter told the rest of them pointedly but gently.

"After all, we're not really needed here anymore." He added, walking over towards Caspian who was watching in confusion. Peter handed over his beloved sword to Caspian who gingerly took it.

"I will look after it until you return." he assured.

"I'm afraid that's just it, we're not coming back." Susan admitted. Caspian's eye shot to her with a mixture of hurt and alarm. She glanced away guiltily.

"We're not?" Lucy asked, her voice wavering.

"You three are. At least I think he means you three?" Peter assured, glancing over to Aslan in question.

"But why? Did they do something wrong?" Lucy asked the lion seriously.

"Quite the opposite dear one. But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned what they can from this world. Now it's time for them to live on their own." Aslan gently explained. Edmund remained quiet, a frown settling on his features.

"But that's not fair." Raelyn weakly protested. Peter smiled over at her sadly.

"It's alright Ray. It's not how I thought it would be but, it's alright. One day you'll see too." He assured the girl. Raelyn pursed her lips unsurely but accepted it.

"Come on." Peter prodded, gesturing towards the Caspian and the small band of Narnains standing across from them. Peter walked over, clasping arms with Glenstorm while Edmund and Lucy went to the professor and Trumpkin. Raelyn frowned and held back tears at the sight of Lucy embracing the dwarf in farewell, Lucy latching onto him abruptly. Despite what the grump said, he had grown quite attached to the youngest Pevensie. Raelyn quickly made her way over towards Caspian and hugged him tightly. She had come to see him as a brother in their short time here.

"I hope to see you soon little candle." Caspian joked weakly. Ray let out a snort of laughter and hugged him tighter before letting go and taking her place beside Edmund once more.

...

The group watched quietly as Susan approached Caspian.

"I'm glad we came back." She told him awkwardly.

"I wish we had more time together." Caspian admitted sadly. Susan forced a smile.

"It would have never worked anyway." She admitted, causing Caspian to frown in confusion.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I am 1300 years older than you." She joked with a smirk. Caspian let out a short laugh as they stared at one another for a long moment. Susan took a step to leave before whipping back around and kissing him on the lips. Edmund groaned, glancing away from the sight, but smiled as Raelyn quickly swatted his shoulder in scolding. They all watched with varying expressions as the two hugged before Susan rejoined her family.

"I'm sure when I'm older I'll understand." Lucy mused as she stared at them in bewilderment.

"I'm older and I don't think I want to understand." Edmund muttered in disgust. Raelyn turned to look at him pointedly.

"I was kidding." He quickly assured leaning in to press a kiss to her temple. She hummed, not believing him but said nothing further. Once they all were together once more they took one last look around. Not wanting to delay the inevitable they all made their way through the tree entrance.

...

The moment they stepped through, they were greeted with the sight of the train rushing past them. The group looked down to see that they were all back in school uniform, in the exact spot they were when they left. Edmund glanced over at Raelyn who met his gaze and grinned sadly. Reaching over he linked his hands tightly with hers in comfort. This was her first time leaving and he knew it would be hard to adjust for a little while. As the train began to slow, even more students were filing into the station. Once it came to a full stop, they stared at it blankly. It was almost unreal to be back doing mundane things again. A lanky boy with glasses boarded the train and turned to give them an odd stare.

"Aren't you coming Phyllis?" he asked, looking at Susan. With that they jolted back to reality and quickly scurried around, grabbing their luggage before boarding the train.

"You don't think there's any way we could get back?" Edmund asked as he ruffled through his satchel. The others looked at him in confusion.

"I left my new torch in Narnia." He told them with a pout. Raelyn was the first to let out a giggle and the others quickly joined in. Edmund shot the redhead a weak glare before grinning and pulling her into his chest. She eagerly wrapped her arms around him as he held onto the railing to keep them steady while the train took them back to school. As a sudden thought struck her she looked up at Edmund.

"Is there any chance I can still do magic here?" she asked in a whisper. Edmund shot her a deadpan look, not even needing to voice the answer. She smiled sheepishly before snuggling back against him.

"Just thought I'd ask."

...

...

 **So that's the end of this story. Stay tuned for the sequel that I hope to post here soon. I'm excited to see what ya'll think of what I have planned for Raelyn and Edmund. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!**


	31. Sequel

I now have the sequel to this story up on my account. Go ahead and check out **Shining Brighter!**


	32. Sorry for any confusion

So apparently there are claims that I 'stole' this story from someone else on Fanfiction. I am totally against anyone doing that but I am officially saying that I have never taken ideas or plagiarized a story ever! I honestly don't know who is claiming this and where the story is. I purposefully don't read Narnia fan-fiction on this sight purely because I don't want to be tempted to take ideas. I chose the name Raeyln because I literally looked up 'Irish baby girl names' and really liked that one. Also the title is purely a coincidence, I was thinking about the plot-line before I wrote anything and I dabbled with titles that could go with 'light'. I know its not the first time the phrase has been used on this website, its pretty common. That title just happened to come out. I have never gotten any indication from any other source that it seemed like a copy and I would tell the mystery author that personally if they would let me. Sorry if it caused any problems but I'm standing by the claim that this is totally original. Sorry to my readers for putting this up and probably annoying you with this nonsense, but I don't like being accused of things that didn't happen.


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